


One May Tolerate A World Of Demons For The Sake Of An Angel

by sharkyclarky



Series: Canon-divergence 5B [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Emma Dies Instead, Multi, Sequel, Underworld
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-06-05 13:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 49,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6706834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharkyclarky/pseuds/sharkyclarky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to 'You Saved Me, Now Let Me Save You."<br/>Killian ventures into the Underworld to save Emma's soul and to bring her back home at any cost</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Souls Of The Departed

**Author's Note:**

> so this was actually asked for by a few people both on here and FF.Net, so I figured I'd try.  
> This chapter is a test drive though, so let me know what you think. I'm still deciding whether to continue.

_"One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel."_

_\- Renette, Doctor Who, The Girl In the Fireplace._

* * *

When Killian awoke, it took him some time to get his bearings. He wasn't aboard the boat travelling across realms to the Underworld, nor was he lying on Emma's bed in the loft, the place he had last remembered lying down. As a matter of fact, Killian wasn't sure where he was. His body squeaked when he moved, the scraping sound of leather on leather, his feet cramped against the console of what he soon realised to be Emma's vessel. He was inside Emma Swan's car.

"What the bloody hell?" He cursed, pushing against the door to sit up straighter, his head bumping the roof slightly. If there was one thing that Killian disliked about Emma Swan it was her impractical, noisy and cramped mode of transport. And yet, he didn't dislike it, not at all. It was too familiar now, too much of her for Killian to ever dislike it, even if it did play havoc with his back if he sat in the seat too long and if he'd not yet gotten used to the seat controls to give his legs more room. The bright yellow contraption was a part of her, and as he'd said before, he was a fan of every part of her.

"Hey, Hook." Killian had barely had a chance to regard his surroundings before voice piped up from the backseat. Swivelling as much as his position would allow, his eyes met the familiar brown of Baelfire's – Neal's – eyes, the eyes he saw in the face of his and Emma's son.

"Bae?" He asked, slightly awed by the other man's appearance in Emma's vehicles and still baffled by the appearance of someone not long dead. One of the few people Hook had come to care for over the past centuries.

"Yeah, we need to talk," Neal said but Killian was too confused by the man's presence for the words to register in his mind.

"Where are we?" He asked instead, looking out of the small window and into the open yard outside, at the climbing towers of metal and broken neon signs, small chariots strapped onto skeletal tracks but pulled by no horses. More modern contraptions Killian was yet to get accustomed to. He supposed he could ask Bae what they were, but something told him that Baelfire had a very different agenda than teaching Killian the ways of the 21st century. "Am I dreaming?"

"No." At least he was being forthright about it. "If you were dreaming there'd be talking doughnuts or something weird like – you know what, never mind." He added, clearly registering the confusion on Killian's face. Killian had dreamt of many things over his centuries of slumber but never of talking food, even those that put Emma in such a good mood. Opening the car door, Bae clambered out having made the seat slant at angle big enough for his body to crawl through before seating himself down beside Killian. "Think of this like a long distance call from an old friend." He said the word 'friend' loosely, but Killian appreciated the gesture nonetheless. He was glad that he and Bae had left things on good enough terms for that word to even be associated with him.

"It's really you. This isn't some kind of trick?" Killian pressed once more, the thought of being able to speak to Baelfire after his death was something Killian had often mused over. He'd wondered if he had ever forgiven the pirate for what he did to his little family. But now was neither the time nor the place for such questions.

"How's Henry?" He asked, and Killian shouldn't have been surprised by the question, of course Bae would want to know the fate of his only son, and yet it had caught Killian off guard.

"Your lad's okay, better than okay. He's great." Killian said, trying to form the right words to describe how much Henry had grown since Bae's passing, how even though he'd not remembered at the time, his father's dead had hit in hard. It was one of the reasons he and the boy had become as close as they had. "He misses you." He said, thinking of the days with Henry on the beach or out on the ocean in a ship Killian had 'borrowed', the boy asking questions about his father that surely only Killian would know the answers too. He had wanted to know if he was like his father, and Killian had been far from afraid to tell him. "He's growing up."

"I bet," Bae said, a longing smile on his face as he looked out of the windshield, thinking no doubt about the son he was never to see again.

"Is this the Underworld?" Killian asked, breaking their silence and Bae's musings. "I was venturing into the Underworld."

"No, but that is why I'm here."

"Is this the part where you tell me not to go?" Killian's voice came out harsher than he'd meant it to, but Bae didn't seem to mind.

"No. It should be, but it's not." The note of self-deprecation in bae's voice did not go unnoticed. Clearly he wasn't proud of what he was saying, but he believed it to be right. "But you need to know that once you're there, it's not an easy place to get out of. Now I know you're trying to save Emma –"

"She'd do the same for me, for either of us had she known she could." Killian reasoned, and he watched the small, knowing smile play across Bae's lips. Because of course Emma would, she'd charge into the Underworld, her head held high and demand the souls of her loved ones returned to her. She'd probably make the Lord of the Underworld that Killian had heard horror stories about quake in his boots. But what made Emma strong, also made her a threat. Killian couldn't help but worry what state he'd find her in – if he found her at all.

"This won't end the way you think it will." The warning was clear but Killian felt undeterred. He'd lost his love one too many times already, he wasn't prepared to give up now, not after all she'd done to save him.

"She would have come after you, Bae. Had she known."

"She couldn't have," Bae said, turning to Killian and smiling slightly. There was so much of Henry in that smile that it made Killian ache for having brought the lad into this. "I'm not there."

"But that means that Emma is there, I can get to her?" Killian hadn't been aware of his own doubts until then, how much of this plan was based on impulse and anger alone. For all he'd known, he could have arrived at the gates of the Underworld just to be turned away and sent on back, theirs hopes crushed and their hearts more broken than they already were.

"Yeah, she's there." Killian didn't miss the distaste in Bae's voice, something that made his stomach churn.

"Then help me. I can get Regina to split my heart and give it to her. It could work." Bae nodded, but the pain the flickered in his eyes went unmasked.

"The Underworld is for people with unfinished business, and that's not me." Killian could tell by the longing in his voice that Bae wished otherwise. He'd do anything for Emma, just as Killian would, and it was not easy for him to watch Hook do all the rescuing when all he could do was pass on his warning. "That's why I'm not there."

"Where are you?" a soft smile played at Bae's lips to Killian's question, his eyes crinkling slightly at the edges as he gazed out the windshield. He looked more like the boy Killian had taught to sail when he smiled like that, as though there is nothing to fear and no reason to worry. Bae may be dead, but he was free. 

"Someplace. Someplace where I'm happy." He said, his voice soft. "I only came because I care about Emma." This wasn't lost on Killian, had his and Emma' roles been reversed he was sure Bae would have told her to turn around, even if she wouldn't listen. "If you think you can do this then you need to get her out of there."

"I'll do my best." Not a lie but Killian was wondering just what his best might be and what it might entail. Should the issue arise he wouldn't waste a second switching his life for hers, but he knew it was not something she would ever allow. She'd drag him back from the gates of hell and force him into the dingy boat before she'd let him sacrifice himself.

"I figured," Bae said with a smile, looking at Killian as he would a friend. It wasn't the relationship he ever thought he'd be able to have with Baelfire, especially after his death, but it was enough for Killian. "Tell Emma and Henry that I love them. And that I always will." He said as he opened the car door, Killian moved over to call out before the door shut in his face, and then he woke up once more.

The daylight was gone, replaced instead by the chill of darkness, nothing but a small lantern at the front of the boat to illuminate his surroundings, the thick grey mist settled around him.

"Hook? Are you okay?" Mary-Margret asked, leaning over him slightly with genuine concern on her face. It was not concern that Killian deserved and though he tried to brush her away, another Charming simply fell into her place.

"You passed out. Are you alright?" David asked, extending a hand towards where Killian was sprawled slightly on the floor of the boat, feeling more unsettled than he should on the water.

"Aye. I'm fine." Killian waved them off, pulling himself into a sitting position.

"Good," Rumplestiltskin said, positioned at the front of the boat. His voice sounded far from happy as he stared out at the water in front of them. "Because we're here."

* * *

"I don't think we're in Maine anymore." And Regina was quite right. Though everything looked painstakingly familiar, the Storybrooke signs, Main street, even Granny's Diner, nothing was right. The sky was burnt red and the buildings derelict and in various degree of disrepair, the clock tower having been destroyed entirely. In fact, it could hardly be called a clock tower anymore, as the clock itself had been embedded in the tarmac, the face the only part still intact.

"How is this possible?" Killian asked, watching the people as they walked across the sidewalk, their faces empty, the move slow and repetitive. The thought that Emma could be one of them, walking like there was nothing left to live for – Poor choice of words – was enough to churn his stomach. "How can the Underworld look like Storybrooke?"

"Your questions are pointless," Rumpelstiltskin said, impatience dripping from his voice. He'd have snapped at the crocodile had her not felt the horrible unease around him. Killian wanted to spend as little time in this realm as he could. "All that matters is that these people are all dead and trapped because they have unfinished business."

The sound of a revving engine echoed through the thick, smoggy air and all eyes turned down Main Street, their eyes widening at the sight of the black and white vintage car speeding across the road and out of sight.

"Cruella." Snow gasped, her still red-rimmed eyes watching the car as it disappeared from view.

"That's right. And she's here because of Miss Swan. And I'd imagine there are many here because of all of us." He turned to where Killian and Regina stood next on their other side of their group "Us three in particular. So let's not lollygag." Killian hated to agree with the Crocodile – he truly did – but the conniving old man had a point.

"Let's split up," Killian said, already breaking away from the group, his jaw set as he backed away. "We'll cover more ground."

"Agreed. The sooner we get out of here, the better." Regina said and so they went their separate ways. Killian chose the search the docks and the seafront, knowing the ocean calmed Emma in the way it did him. Regina and Robin headed to the North of town, down Main Street and towards the forest while Snow and Henry headed towards the Town Hall, David to the park. Killian had no idea where the Crocodile was headed, and frankly he didn't care. He had to find his Swan, and he had to find her soon.

"I'm looking for my daughter, Emma. Long blonde hair, red jacket." Snow pressed, looking across the diner's counter at the blind witch behind it.

"The saviour!" She announced, clapping her hands together, and Snow felt the rush of hope filling her chest, air finally getting into her lungs.

"You know her?" She asked urgently, but the Bling Witch shook her head.

"No, but your description is pretty complete." Snow hadn't even considered that she was giving a visual description to a blind woman, and frankly, she couldn't find it in her to care. For all she knew, her daughter was down here, suffering and alone, and Snow would rather sell her own soul than let that happen.

"Did you find anything?" Hook asked, entering the diner and looking at the fellow patrons with distaste. Clearly the thought of Emma being down here troubled him just as much, enough that he'd waded in after her with little to no thought.

"There's no sign of her at the park or the Town Hall," Snow said, trying hard not to sniffle at the thought. She felt like she'd done nothing but cry since Emma's death, and she didn't feel like that was going to change until they found her, or saw her at least.

"This is bloody hopeless!" Hook exclaimed, slamming his hand down on the counter in clear, badly disguised frustration. His own eyes were rimmed red, his jaw set enough that Snow was sure he was grinding his teeth. Clearly wherever he'd looked had been a bust, causing more emotional turmoil than it did reveal answers. Snow could relate, at least. "We don't even know if Emma's here. What if she doesn't have any unfinished business?"

"She died a Dark One, Captain." Gold interjected, and any doubts beginning to cloud in her mind were cleared by his words. "Trust me, she's here."

"Trust you?" Hook al but growled, his face twisted into a sneer as he watched Rumpelstiltskin who seemed airily calm.

"I'm finished being a team player. If you want things done, let me do them my way. I may have something down here that can help us." And then he turned, leaving the Diner with a snarky smirk tossed in Killian's directions. He was ready to storm after his and demand he cut the secrecy, but a voice stopped him.

"Any luck finding my mum?" Henry asked, appearing from the back of the Diner, right from the hallway that led to the rooms of the B&B.

"Not yet, Lad," Killian said, stepping away from the counter and swallowing his anger. He was the reason the boy was down here, and if anyone was going to comfort the lad after everything it should be him, even if he didn't deserve the good feeling of making Henry feel better. "But We're not going to give up. What's that?" He asked, indicating to the key Henry was turning over in his hands.

"I was checking in the rooms. This was the one for my dad's room." He said, his voice crestfallen as he looked at the key.

"You're looking for him?" Killian choked out slightly, the vision of Baelfire in Emma's car still very fresh in his mind.

"I wanted to let him know I was okay," Henry said, looking up at Hook with such openness it made Killian hurt. It took a lot of trust to look at someone like that, in Killian's experience at least. And yet, the boy did nothing to hide his disappointment or sorrow. Killian took in the boys appearance, noting that he looked just as wrecked as the rest of them – except for maybe Regina, Robin and Gold – his hair dishevelled from his hands running through it, his eyes red and his nose sniffling slightly.

"Trust me, my boy. He knows." Killian placed his hand on Henry's shoulder, the boy's eyebrow rising slightly in question. He looked so much like Bae had done as a child, a wave of unwanted emotions surging in Hook's already aching heart.

"How can you be sure?"

"I just am. Believe me, Lad, he's in a better place." Killian was surprised with how level he managed to keep his voice. "I promise." Clearly it was the right thing to say as Henry nodded before placing the key on the counter top and making his way towards Snow, casting Hook and thankful look over this shoulder. Killian needed to find Emma, not just for him, but for her boy.

* * *

Killian stayed in the Diner after that, Snow having convinced him to wait until Regina and Robin came back from their search before embarking on another. They were in a rush, yes, but they didn't want to waste any of their time searching places that had already been searched. Always so tactical, the princess Snow. It wasn't until Regina finally returned, her face ashen as she exclaimed the run in with her mother that Killian was beginning to feel the press of time more.

"She'll really do that? She'll throw your father – her husband – into the fire?" Snow asked, seemingly abashed by the concept. For the woman who had convinced herself of her evil enough to blacken her own soul to kill Cora, Snow truly knew nothing of the woman's nature.

"Of course she will," Regina said, sounding distraught. Killian almost felt bad for her, but they all had their ghosts in the town, if he pondered on who may be walking among the dead for too long then he'd never accomplish what he came for. There was no use in chasing ghosts now. "She thinks she's giving me my best chance. I can't let my father suffer because of me." Hook wanted to groan. They didn't have time for the Evil Queen's family drama, but he managed impressively to hold his tongue.

"Regina, it's alright." Robin attempted in comfort, but Regina shrugged him off.

"No it's not. He's here because I killed him. The only way I've been able to deal with that is to pretend he went to a better place. He didn't." She said, hr eyes downcast for a moment, her face not bothering to hide her pain. "Maybe I should get on that boat." Honestly, it was the best idea Killian had heard since landing here.

"Aye, you should." He voiced, earning a shocked look from both of Emma's parents, the two of them clinging to one another like they were scared one would disappear. Losing Emma was taking one hell of a toll on the both of them, and Killian could see it in Snow's white-knuckled grip on her husband's shirt, and David's hand tight at her waist.

"Absolutely not," David said and Killian was taken aback by the strength in his voice. He'd not been the most talkative person since entering the Underworld, even choosing to search for Emma alone. Killian could only imagine the pain he was going through, obviously it rivalled his own, but to lose a daughter you'd only just found had to be hard for anyone to handle. Prince Charming was struggling. "We are not leaving until we find Emma. _Together._

"It's too dangerous here," Killian argued, but he'd already sussed it would be hopeless arguing with one of the charming, let alone both.

"Which is exactly why we're not leaving here without out daughter." Snow, levelling Killian with the harshest 'Mum-stare', as Emma had called it, that Killian had seen.

"I can retrieve her, I'm sure."

"We're not letting you do this alone." Snow fought back, and Killian liked to pretend it was for his benefit, but he knew full well they were here for their daughter, not her pirate lover. After all, he had tried to kill them all not a day ago.

"Perhaps I can cut this little squabble short." Rumpelstiltskin interrupted, holding a small, engraved wooden vial up for the group to see.

"What the bloody hell it that?" Killian asked, not trusting for a second anything the Crocodile had retrieved. For all Hook knew, Gold was simply trying to curse them all to stay in the Underworld before taking Regina's boat sailing back to his blissfully ignorant wife.

"This is the way to find your deceased saviour." Gold said, Killian jaw clenching at the way he mentioned her. Knowing Emma was one thing, holding her body as the life drained from it was enough, but to hear someone like Rumpelstiltskin talk of her death with such casual disregard, it made his heart lurch. "The Ale of Sinead from the land of Dunbroch."

"That's a mouthful," Regina said and Hook was reminded of the fiery-haired Scot they had left behind in Storybrooke. This was surely from her land.

"It lets you communicate with the dead. Pour this over Miss Swan's grave and we can stop guessing where she is and simply ask her." He said, holding to vial out to Killian, who took it without hesitation.

"You're saying Emma had a grave here in the Underworld?" David asked, and Killian could see how both he and Snow had gone white, the colour draining from their faces at the thought of their daughter grave. It was seeing them like this that made Killian wish he had been the one to die. Surely Swan wouldn't have been this reckless as to follow him straight into death, and she sure as hell wouldn't bring a teenager along. Killian wanted to find Emma – truly, he did – but his biggest regret was allowing the entire Charming family to follow along after. If anything happened to them on this rescue mission, he wouldn't forgive himself. And he doubted Emma would either.

"Everyone down here has a grave. You'll find the cemetery right where you remember it." Killian could only remember going to the cemetery once and that had been Baelfire's funeral. Clearly he wasn't leading this rescue mission if he didn't even know the way.

"If this works, we can find Emma before the boat leave and we can all get out of here together." The hope that flared in the bandit princess's eyes was contagious and Killian felt himself half-smiling despite the situation. They could do it. This could all be over. He could bring Emma home and their white picket future could begin – whatever a white picket life was, anyway.

"A fine idea. I suggest you all get moving." Gold said, already moving to walk between them, right until Killian's arm came up to stop him.

"Not a chance, Crocodile." Killian half growled, his eyes spitting fire as he looked down at Rumpelstiltskin. "you're coming with us."

"You can do this part on your own." Gold sneered back, returning Hook's glare with a malevolent one of his own. "There's a boat coming soon. You want to find Miss Swan, fine. But I have no interest in exploring this world any further. You can meet me there. It' entirely up to you." He said before listing Hook's arm, their bodies not even touching, before he swaggered from the diner, the door slamming shut with a ding behind him. Killian made a move to go after him, but found his path blocked by Snow's arm pushing on his chest, her hopeful green eyes – so like Emma's – seeking out his.

"Hook. There is no time to argue. If there is even a chance that this will work then we have to risk."

* * *

Having never had the need for a cemetery, it was safe to say that the engraved headstones were making Killian feel uncomfortable. Any of those who had had loved and lost had been buried at sea, the way he had always wanted to go, their bodies wrapped in white before being swallowed by the ocean. To see Emma's name engraved so blandly on nothing but a slab of rock felt like a stab to Killian's gut. She deserved better than this, Emma – his Swan – she deserved a shrine in her honour, a token of her life and memories, not a name on a piece of grey rock.

"Are you okay?" Snow asked, her voice shaky as she spoke. Clearly she was not okay if he sniffling was anything to go by, and once more Killian was struck with the harshness of this moment. If he was struggling with seeing Emma's name on an unfamiliar surface, he could only imagine Snow's pain. No mother should have to bury her child, and here was Snow White, the bandit princess who had her throne taken from her, sobbing as she asked if Killian – the man who had almost killed her – was okay. He'd never felt overly strong emotions towards Emma's mother, but that was beginning to change quite rapidly. He just wished he could comfort her, to lie and say that he was fine. He couldn't, so he didn't.

"I will be if she is." He answered and with a deep breath he uncorked the vial, dribbling its contents onto the grass in front of Emma's name. And then he waited. The image appeared slowly, not entirely visible t begin with, but Killian would recognise those blonde curls anywhere, he'd buried his fingers in them as she took her final breath. "Swan!" He exclaimed and then the image became clear. Snow sobbed louder, David gasped as he clutched his wife close, and Killian could only hope that Regina and Robin had the good sense to cover Henry's eyes.

She was there, his Swan, her golden hair falling over her shoulders in a tangled mess, splotches of blood dried at her temple and seeping through the roots of her locks. Her red jacket was shredded, revealing the filthy white vest beneath. The vest itself was ripped, gashes of red – some still oozing blood – visible even through the vision. And her face, her beautiful face, was bloody and bruised, her eyes half lidded as she fought to keep consciousness, one of them wearing a harsh looking purple bruise. Her lip was split and blood was smeared across her pale skin. The sight made Killian ache in agony, to see his Swan in such a state. It should have been him standing there, his image flickering, his face a mess. It shouldn't be her. It should never have been her.

"Emma, we're here to save you. Where are you?" Killian asked, fighting passed the horrific lump in his throat just to get the words out.

"Hook. The spells not steady. She can't hear you." But Hook had drowned Regina out. All he could focus on his was Emma, her pain. He didn't know whether to curl up and cry with grief or break though the walls of Hell until he found her and carried her to safety.

"Just tell us where you are."

"Something's happening," Robin said, watching as Emma's image flickered. Killian didn't even know if she could see him – oh, he hoped she could. She had to know they were there. She needed to know they had come for her and that they wouldn't give up.

"It's not holding," Regina added, but Hook pressed on.

"Talk to me, Swan. Please talk to me." He said. The image gave one last glitching lurch before Emma disappeared into the red smog once more. "EMMA!" He cried out, his legs giving way as she knelt on the ground, his hands splayed through the grass. Was she actually buried here? If he dug deep enough would he find her body? Everything was beginning to feel agonisingly more real. It was like he'd watched her die all over again. "She doesn't know we came for her. She doesn't know we're here. What's to stop her letting go?"

"Killian," Sow said with a sob, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "We _will_ find her."

"Will we? Did you not bloody see her? She's in pain. She's _suffering._ He said, and by the way Snow flinched at his words, she knew all too well how Emma was faring. Emma was in pain, and so were her family. He could hear Henry as he tried desperately to cry silently, Robin had his arm around his shoulder and was trying to comfort the boy. "There's no time. Cora's boat is coming. You have to take it or we may all be stuck here."

"If she can arrange a way out, so can we." David interjected, his tears not even dried on his cheeks as he surged forward, his jaw set, his eyes ready to take on an army. " _after_ we find Emma. We are not giving up on her. Or you." He said and Killian fought past the guilt at the mans words, turning instead to face Regina.

"Your Majesty, they may be staying but you should go." He said. Regina didn't argue which was a testament, Killian thought, to just how dire their situation had become. "Take Robin and Take the boy. He's seen more than enough already. As for what your father's going to face…" Hook trailed off, seeing the conflict in Regina's eyes. She probably had no doubt that they could save Emma, just the three of them, but to have to console a distraught Henry until that moment would be torture for any mother to endure.

"It probably looks a lot like what Emma is facing." She finished, her eyes casting back to the grave where Emma had stood, beaten and bloody, not five minutes before. Killian's veins still felt like they were on fire, his mouth dry and his eyes burning at the thought.

"It's settled. Get the boy out of here."

* * *

As it happened, Regina did not get Henry out of the Underworld, but she did one better. Her father had passed on. He was finally in a better place, a happier one, and Killian was glad, he truly was, but Henry was still here. Henry was in the Underworld, searching for a mother who was in more pain than even Killian had ever experience in his hundreds of years. It was enough to unsettle even the steadiest of people.

"That means that everyone here –"

"– Can be saved." David finished for his wife once Regina's story had ended.

"Every soul in this town has unfinished business and chances are, for a lot of them, we're that business." Regina reasoned, a heroic mission already beginning t unfold between her and the Charming's. Killian wished he could be as enthusiastic as them, but the image of Emma's blood stained face was in his mind and didn't show any hints of leaving soon. He needed to find her, and saving the souls of the Underworld would surely delay the by a thorough amount of time.

"You've all deluded yourselves if you think these people are worth your time. They're not the dearly departed, they are dead, wretched souls. I want no part of it." Rumpelstiltskin stated, already moving to turn away. Despite Killian's agreement with the Crocodile (Something he'd never admit to in another hundred lifetimes), he couldn't help but argue. Perhaps it was the hero in him rearing its head, putting the needs of others before his own need to find his saviour, or perhaps he was just feeling confrontational.

"What you want doesn't matter," Killian argued, moving to face Gold, the older man's sneer already on his face. "I wasn't bluffing about telling the lovely Belle about your return to Darkoneness." He said flourishing his hand in the flamboyant way Rumpelstiltskin often did. Obviously, Gold didn't find it very funny.

"Our agreement was to find Miss Swan and get the hell out of here. If you want to distract yourself with this other pursuit, be my guest. I'm out." He said before turning and walking away. Where to, Killian didn't know. And once more he found himself not caring. They had bigger issues, the top of which was to save Emma from whatever hell she was enduring. They could save lost souls later once Swan was back in his arms.

"So, who's ready for Operation Firebird?" Henry asked, stepping towards Killian and despite the sorrow in his eyes, there was a small smile on his face. He had hope, and after the events of that day, Killian was going to need to borrow some of that hope. Or perhaps a lot of it.

"Is that what we're calling it?" Regina asked with a bright smile, and Killian was beginning to feel more grateful that they had decided to join him. This would have been a hell of a lot harder to achieve alone, and yet the guilt of bringing them here was still simmering in his gut, waiting to rear its ugly head at the most inopportune moment. But because Henry was smiling through his pain, and David and Snow were on a heroic quest and Regina was willing to save a woman she's once tried to murder, Killian managed to swallow his own grief, even if only for a moment to smile back at the boy who'd lost s much in his young life.

"I like it, Lad," Killian said, wrapping an arm around Henry's shoulders on impulse, amazed with how the boys arm came to circle his own waist as he smiled up at Hook. "Now, let's bring her home."

* * *


	2. Labour of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is over twice as long as the last one. I honestly have no idea how, it just sort of happened. 
> 
> I'm sorry it took a while but I didn't want my writing to seem at all forced (which it might with the ending) but please, do let me know your thoughts!

_"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more."_

_\- Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_

* * *

Emma awoke with a start, her eyes blown wide as she gasped for air. The emptiness in her chest did nothing to ease her panic, and for every breath she took her lungs didn't respond. She couldn't feel them fill with air as se did everything to drink it in, she felt nothing there. Struggling to her feet she felt the pain in every inch of her body, some of it sharp others like a throbbing ache, it was enough to send her crashing into the stone wall beside her, something that did her no favours. Grasping at her chest, she felt her hand rest against her breast, feeling for something, for _anything._ She was greeted with emptiness. Her heart wasn't beating; her lungs weren't breathing – Emma Swan was dead.

"Hello," She croaked, her voice straining and pained as she fumbled for a grip on the wall beside her. Pulling herself painfully to find her footing, stumbling slightly as she did so, she tried once more. "Hello?" She called, sounding slightly more human, but her throat felt raw, scratched and unused. Gripping the wall, Emma began to try a tentative step forward, wincing aloud at the pain of movements.

"Stop." A voice said, and had Emma not felt so exhausted she was sure she would have jumped. As it happened, she didn't. The ache in her body was nestled bone deep, even holding herself up was agony, sharp bursts of pain shooting through her side, her legs weak and wobbling, threatening to let her drop at any second. If she'd thought her death had been painful, this was far worse. Should the after life truly have so much pain? Were her deeds in the land of the living truly so awful that it warranted such punishment. Emma wasn't even sure she wanted to know the answer to that.

"What?" Emma asked, eyeing the room before her, the crumbling stone alcoves and fire burning in the pit before her. It took a moment for her to realise she could only see fully through one eye, the other either too bloody or too bruised to be of much use. It was rather disorientating, and yet, she saw the girl who had spoken, huddled in the alcove just opposite and to the left of her own, draped in tatty robes, her hair matted slightly and hanging over her shoulders.

"Don't move." The girl added, her head leant back against the stone wall behind her. She looked in far better condition than Emma felt, that was for sure. Barely a scratch on her. But then again, who knew how long she'd been trapped down here, judging by her clothing and the softness to her face, her afterlife had not been nearly as short as her living life. "It's a trick. He wants you to think you can escape, but you can't. No one can."

"I'm willing to try." Emma replied, bracing herself against the wall to take another step, knowing it was going to be nothing but agony.

"Don't!" She exclaimed, her voice afraid, pale eyes wide as she looked at Emma. She barely looked sixteen, not much older than Henry was, and here she was, trapped and afraid in a cell, dead to the world above. Just like Emma was. She was still having a time getting her head around it. She was dead, Emma Swan was dead and (most likely) buried. "He'll hunt you down."

"Hades has done what he can with me" Emma said, bitterness in her voice as she thought of her family, standing above her grave in Storybrooke, weeping into one another's shoulders, Killian laying down a middlemist flower over the packed earth. But that wasn't true, it wasn't true at all. They may have stood over her grave, but they weren't in Storybrooke.

"I don't mean Hades."

"Then who?" Emma asked a little harsher than intended, but the girls vague answers were getting to be a bit of a frustration. Emma was in pain, her family was here, they were risking their lives for her _again_. She didn't know why she was so surprised. Perhaps little orphan Emma wasn't as buried as Emma would have liked to believe. Even now, with her parents, with Henry, and with Killian telling her otherwise, Emma didn't feel worth it. "Look, I'm getting out of here." Emma said when the girl decided not to answer. It was better to talk to someone anyway. What was the old saying, _misery loves company?_ "And when I do, you're coming with me. Now the people I care about, my family, the man I love, are here to save me. If I can get out of here, I can make their job a hell of a lot easier." The girl seemed interested, that was for sure, her eyes looking up at the beaten and bloody woman with a faint glimmer of curiosity, and perhaps Emma was just thinking wishfully now, but even a tiny bit of hope.

"How do you know they're here?" She asked dubiously as she tightened her grip around herself.

"They got me a message." She said, her heart breaking when she remembered the sight, crisp and clear in her mind. Killian was there, his face as hopeful as she'd ever seen it. He was calling out for her, telling her he was there, but everything was distorted, like it was through a thin sheet of water, his words barely breaking through. But he was there, she saw it, him and her parents, they were all here to save her. Her family.

"How do you know it wasn't one of Hades tricks?" Emma could hardly say she hadn't considered it, the Underworld was new territory, Hades being far worse than any villain she'd faced before – she had the cuts and bruises to prove it. And yet, her superpower was working. There had been no inkling of a lie, nothing to tell her it was a trick, only a slither of hope that Emma refused to be extinguished.

"My mum always says, when you love someone and they love you, they will always find you." It felt weird enough to say, but it was almost ridiculous for Emma to believe it, especially after everything that had happened. But she did. They were here, Emma believed. "They're here. I can feel it. Now, tell me what's stopping us from leaving, and we can escape it together." She pressed. The girl looked hopeful for a moment, her lips parting just a breath as thought she was going to speak, but her mouth shut quickly and she shook her head, snuggling tighter into herself. "Well, I'm not just going to sit here. What's your name?"

"Megara," The girl said and Emma felt the urge to laugh, but the pain in her side when the chuckle rose up was enough to squash it. "But you can call me –"

"Meg." Emma finished. She'd watches Hercules, in fact, she'd loved the film. She should have guessed, really. "The Underworld, of course. I don't suppose you've got Hercules on speed dial?" It was meant as a joke to herself, but Meg just eyed her warily, seeming to reassess whether Emma was at all worth trusting. "Never mind. Time to go." Emma said, and with a sharp intake of breath and a shooting pain that fired though her veins, burning her nerve endings, Emma stepped down from her alcove, her stance wavering as she tried to walk toward Megara.

"Are you mad?" Meg asked, but got to her feet just the same. Emma didn't blame her for asking, she was asking the exact same thing.

"Probably. Or just infuriatingly optimistic," She said with a smile, more for her own benefit than the trembling girl before her. "But I'm also your best chance." Hesitantly, Megara took Emma's hand. Stepping down from her own alcove as the echo of a roar sounded through the tunnels. "Ready?" Emma asked, amazed how steady her voice was as she held Megara's hand with one of hers, the other pressing as hard as possible against her likely broken ribs without causing more pain. "Run!"

And they did. Out into the tunnel and away from the alcoves, but the thundering of feet was getting louder to their left, and so Emma pushed Megara to the right, forcing the girl down the tunnel, trying to ignore her shriek as she winced at the pain left by the action. Exertion was not going to do her any favours.

"I told you. We'll never make it." Megara said, and Emma was certain the girl was ready to run back to her alcove and hide away. Emma wasn't having that. Not today.

"One of us could." She thought aloud. Truthfully, she hadn't thought Megara was all that serious about whatever this beast was hunting them down, but now, with the snarls and grunts getting louder by the second, she was beginning to believe once more. "You go and I'll hold it off. I'll never out run it like this."

"You said we would escape together." Megara said and she sounded pleading. She was afraid, terrified in fact, and she didn't want to be alone. Emma could relate to that. She wasn't really looking forward to being a hell hound's dinner either, but there was a time and place for sacrifice. This might even work out best for the both of them, just as long as Megara could get a message out.

"I can barely hold myself up. I'll never outrun this thing, Meg, and then we'd both be trapped. You go, and when you're out, find my family." She said, clutching onto Megara's arm. Emma was grateful that she clutched just as tightly back. "Find David Nolan, Snow White and Killian Jones. My name is Emma, tell them I'm here. Tell them to find me. Please." She pressed and Megara seemed to consider for a moment, but then the beast roared again and Meg nodded her agreement. Her eyes were wide with fear, but Emma saw the determination and couldn't help feeling she'd put her faith in the right person.

"Okay." Megara said, but didn't release Emma right way.

"Go. Run!" Emma said, half pushing her off and further into the tunnels. Megara looked back only once, her face conflicted before she took off further into the tunnels, her purple rags flapping behind her. With a groan, Emma turned. The foot falls were louder and with a snarl, the beast came thundering around the corner, stopping short in the tunnel when it spotted her, weak and trembling before it. "Nice doggie." Emma muttered, remembering the tales of the hell hound from her childhood. She'd laugh at herself if she wasn't shuddering in anticipation – not the good kind – just waiting for the beast to strike.

Emma saw nothing but the flash of six red eyes and the sound of a deafening snarl before the creature pounced, latching its jaws onto her shoulder and dragging her back into the darkness.

* * *

"These are all my father's subjects." Snow said, her grip on her bow tightening as she walked passed yet another row of graves, the names somewhat familiar as that of knights or council members, but it was the names Snow didn't recognise that made her heart ache more than it already was. "I was supposed to protect them. But I can't protect anyone anymore." Snow said, and now she did turn to David, seeing the sympathy for her in his red-rimmed eyes. The tears had stopped flowing, but the pain was there. The torment of knowing Emma was in pain, agony even, and they didn't even know where to being looking. They were grasping at straws, choosing to look wherever they could. And they were coming up empty. "I can't even save my own daughter." David's arms were around her before the sob has pushed from her throat, the familiar feel of his embrace doing nothing to soothe her as it should.

"You are not doing this alone." David ground out, his voice sounding more choked than Snow was sure he'd meant it to. He was holding back for her sake, because that's what David did. He pushed down his own feelings to comfort and protect the people he loved, a trait he'd passed onto Emma. "Mary-Margret, we will find Emma, and we _will_ find a way to save her." He pulled back from Snow, but didn't release her, his hands reaching to cup her cheeks, wiping the tears as they fell freely down her face. David was crying now too, unable to stop the flow as he saw Emma in his mind's eye, the blood in her blonde hair, the tears in her jacket, it was agonising to remember. By the look on Snow's face she was seeing it too. "No matter what."

"You saw her, David." Snow pressed, his reassuring words doing nothing to, well, reassure her. "She's in pain and we're just wandering around. We don't even know where to look." What perhaps hurt more than the image of Emma, was the hopelessness in Snow's voice. There was nothing enlightening, nothing to keep her going. She looked ready to admit defeat, to lie down in this graveyard and never get up again. But David knew she wouldn't. She may be hurting, and she may feel as though she'd lost all hope, but David had seen her this way before. It didn't shut her down, _it woke her up_. He just needed to wait for that determination to kick in – for Snow White to wake up.

"We will find her." David pressed once more, and even as Mary-Margret tried to turn away, her pulled her face back, blue eyes meeting green, trying to dispel his determination into her. If she wouldn't wake up, them David would be hopeful enough for the both of them until she did. "Now, we're going to help Hook search the woods just south of here. He may be determined, but no one is better at tracking than bandit Snow."

She smiled a little then, and as weak as it was, David saw the spark. It wasn't much, but it would be enough, just that tiny little spark of hope would be enough to set her ablaze.

"Let's go save our daughter." She said, her voice stronger than David had heard it in quite a while. He kissed her forehead, a soft, lingering kiss, and felt how she leaned into it. They began to walk once more, Mary-Margret's eyes still flickering to the tombstones, memorising every name on them, remembering a fallen subject. David heard her quite gasp, saw how she began to trail off of their path, her eyes misty as she knelt before a grave, her fingers reaching for the name engraved upon its surface.

"You knew Hercules?" David asked, failing to keep the shock out of his voice as he watched Snow's face fall.

"We were friends when we were kids." Her voice was barely a whisper, even more pained than it had been not five minutes ago. They really hadn't known what ghosts they'd been running into when they waded down here, but it would be worth it. Emma was worth it.

"Define friends." David said lightly, smiling despite himself. He was relieved when he heard Snow's tiny laugh. Once again, it wasn't much, but it was there.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" She asked, barely glancing over her shoulder to smile up at him slightly.

"It's not every day you find out your wife was friends with a god." He was glad his somewhat weak comic relief was having effect. Yes, they were both hurting, but giving in to the pain wouldn't help anyone, especially not Emma. They needed to keep their heads above water, they need hope, they needed to save Emma.

"A demi-god." She said, laughing slightly and David felt himself joining her. But like everything else in this realm, the laughter died. "He also happens to be dead." Mary-Margret said, her voice low as thought she'd meant it for her ears alone.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I was giving you a hard time." David said, placing his hand on her shoulder, expecting her to revel in the comfort of his touch. Instead, her body tensed slightly, her shoulders setting as she looked at him, eyes wide.

"David, if he's down here, he has unfinished business." The point was obvious, David knew how the Underworld worked, what he didn't quite understand was why his wife seem so enthralled by the revelation. "We can help him."

"At the expense of finding our daughter?" David blurted out. He hadn't meant to sound as insensitive to Mary-Margret's greif as he had, but she didn't seem to phased by accusatory exclamation. "Mary-Margret, we can't –"

"Think about it." She said, using David' arm as leverage to pull herself to standing once more. "He's Hercules. He can help us." The cogs were ticking away in David's mind, but the pieces weren't quite slotting together. "We save him and he can save Emma. We can get her back." The smile that broke out on David's face almost hurt, the expression having been so foreign since, well, since the night at Granny's when Hook had mocked him about the alternate story book. The night Emma had sacrificed herself to the darkness, putting into play the events that would lead them here. And yet, they felt insignificant now. They had a plan – part of one, at least – they could find Emma and bring her home. But most of all, Mary-Margret had _woken up._

* * *

"Hook, we've passed this tree already," Henry said trailing after the pirate as they searched the voice. His steps were sluggish; any determination he'd had to begin with fizzling slightly as he felt the harsh pull of hopelessness at the back of his mind. "Twice." He added, but Hook didn't seem convinced, continuing to pull at branches and inspect the ground, searching for what, Henry wasn't even sure. "The trail is cold."

"Then we keep going until we find a trail that's hot." Hook's words were blunt, and had Henry not known the pirate as well as he did he'd feel ashamed at the effort Hook was putting in compared to his own. But Henry did know Hook, he'd been by his side as they'd embarked on their quest in Camelot to find Emma, and he'd seen this same blind determination then. This was how Hook coped when he wasn't washing away the pain with rum. Henry opened his mouth to reply, to tell Hook it was time to find another trail, to continue their search elsewhere, but the pirate had turned to look at him, his blue eyes so open that it made Henry's chest ache. He'd seen that openness not a week ago in a different face, a different pair of eyes. It felt like a lifetime ago that he'd seen Emma fruitlessly try and save Hook on the floor of Granny's diner.

"Okay." He agreed instead, seeing Hook seemingly deflate at his words before turning back to what was likely still a cold trail.

"There's no sign in the north woods." Robin said, merging from the trees with Regina on his heels. They didn't look as wrecked as the rest of the search party, neither of them having been overly close to Emma. Sure, Regina and Emmma had begun to form something of a bond, a friendship almost, but with all the loss Regina had seen, Emma's had merely added to the burden. If not for Regina, then Emma wouldn't have become the Dark One. Hook probably wouldn't have endured his encounter with Excalibur and then the entire fiasco could have been avoided. And yet, Henry knew that his mother wasn't to blame, neither of them were. If being the author had taught him anything t was that life had a funny way of taking you where you were supposed to be, and here they were in the Underworld, Operation Firebird already underway. Emma was the hero to this story – the saviour – and he knew that heroes always got their happy ending. He knew, that even if the journey was bleak, that they would find Emma and bring her home. He had hope. And in a land as derelict and foreboding as the Underworld, hope was proving to be a very powerful thing.

"Then we keep bloody looking." Hook ground out, more frustrated at their predicament than he was at the individuals. He blamed himself, Henry knew, just as everyone else was somehow blaming themselves for Emma's fate. As much as he hated it – and he did – he knew that it had been Emma's choice to make, and hers alone. He wouldn't begrudge her that choice by blaming himself. Coming to the Underworld was his choice to make, after all. And Henry would happily walk through the fires of hell if it meant bring his mother back. He'd not had her in his life for long, barely three years, he wasn't going to lose her without a fight. He had faith in that. "Perhaps the bridge. Or the docks?"

"There may be a way we can search quicker." Regina said, talking almost to herself, the way she often did when a plan began to form in her mind.

"And how do you propose we do that, Your Majesty?" Hook's words held little bite to them, and Regina understood his pain, she simply didn't appreciate the tone.

"Easy, Guyliner." She said, watching his jaw twitch at the nickname. "In Storybrooke I had maps of the whole town, every last inch." Regina explained, and Henry knew what she meant. He had, after all, spent enough time pouring over the mas himself as a boy to know the ones she meant.

"And you think these maps can help?" Robin asked, adjusting his quiver more comfortably on his shoulder.

"Well, we won't be walking in circles." Regina said, casting a quick side-glance as Hook who tightened his jaw in response.

"No, but it could be wasting an equal waste of bloody time that we should be using to look for Emma." His voice rose at the end, something Henry had noticed as his emotional tell, something he did when his emotions were becoming too much, like Emma's instinct to run.

"I'll go," Robin said, placing a hand on Regina's shoulder to settle her. Clearly she'd been ready with another snarky retort, something that wouldn't be doing them any favours. Time was of the essence, and they didn't have enough to spar to be bickering in the woods. "You keep searching, I'll get your intel." He said, placing a quick kiss on Regina's cheek before turning to leave.

"Wait," Regina caught his arm, turning him back towards her. "Take Henry." The boy's ears seemed to prick up at that slightly. He was becoming so used to being told it was too dangerous and that he should stay put that it was rare for him to even be included anymore.

"It could be dangerous." Robin reasoned.

"This is the Underworld." Regina said, gesturing around them at the eerily tall, dark trees, the red sky barely penetrating the dense foliage. "And if Emma's _situation_ is as bad as we think, then I can't have Henry see her." She spoke quieter this time, just so Robin could hear. If Henry heard anything, he didn't say. "Besides, with my mother gone the office should be empty. And no one knows it better than Henry. She reached for her son then, her hand grasping his with a reassuring squeeze, the kind that told Henry he was included, that he was needed here. He was as important to this operation than the rest of them. "He'll be fine. You'll be there to protect him."

"Let's go." Robin said with a nod, his hand clapping Henry's shoulder as she led the boy towards what was presumably the exit to the forest.

"All right, let's get back to it." She said with a sigh akin to relief. Regina turned back around to face the hyper alert and grieving pirate, only to find he wasn't there. "Hook?" She asked, confused for a moment before throwing her arms out in exasperation. "Pirate. Figures."

"Regina." His voice called from not too far away," I've found something." It didn't take long for Regina to find the disappearing pirate crouched beside a small plant, his fingers reaching towards one of the red-slick leaves.

"Blood?" Regina asked rather unnecessarily, the dark red ooze fairly unmistakable, even in the Underworld.

"There's a trail of it." Hook said, his fingers gesturing to the indeed red dotted plants. His fingers barely skimmed the surface of one of the leaves before coming away red at the tips. "It's fresh." HE said, and then he was off, moving far faster than Regina had ever thought possible for the handless wonder.

"Hook, wait." She said, rising form the crouch he'd falling into the inspect the so-called trail. Even if she couldn't see the leather clad pirate though the trees, she could hear him.

"Swan!" He called, voice bellowing through the trees. "Swan!" had there been birds, his echoing voice would surely had scared them away. "Emma!" He tried one last time, his voice breaking just a faction as Regina caught him up, recognising the frantic look in his eyes with clarity. Regina was no fool, she'd seen Emma's body, and had barely had enough to time to stop Henry from see it as well. She knew that they all had reason to be concerned for their saviour, but she also knew that Hook's rash attitude wasn't going to be doing them any favours in this foreign world.

"I'm not Emma." Regina heard a voice say from behind a large fallen tree, Hook stood beside it, brow furrowed as he looked at the ragged girl before him. "But I know her." She said and Hook's confusion was wiped away in a second, his hand reaching for hers, which she eagerly took, letting him pull her to her feet. She barely looked older than sixteen, and yet here she was, in the Underworld. Regina had killed hundreds of people of all ages, even burning down a village or two, but there was something about seeing someone so _young_ in this world, the afterlife, that sent a chill through her.

"Who are you? Where the bloody hell is Emma?" Hook asked, delicate as always. The girl reply was swallowed by a snarling roar echoing through the trees, making even the leaves tremble.

"We have to get out of here." The girl exclaimed, eyes frantic as she gripped tightly to Hook's arm like a lifeline.

"What the hell was that?" Regina asked, but the roar only echoed once more, closer this time, an unpleasant feeling dread settling in her stomach at the sound.

"It's coming." The girl said, her voice shaking. "Hide me. We have to go now!" Regina didn't need asking twice, and she didn't much like the idea of facing the beast that was prowling the forest. With a flick of her wrist and a new, unpleasant churning feeling in her gut she allowed the purpled smoke to envelope to group.

When it cleared Regina was surprised at where they had landed.

"Not quite what I was thinking." She said looking around the familiar layout of the loft, the windows dark and the furniture hidden beneath white sheets as though the walls were simply behind repainted. "But it'll do."

"Aye, that it will." Hook said before tugging at the sheet covering the sofa, letting it fall to the floor with little care. "Lie down, Lass." He said to the girl before turning to Regina once more. "Do you think the owners will return?"

"I doubt it." Regina replied, holding up the frames picture of David and Mary-Margret for Hook to see. His brows furrowed at the sight. "Seems this place is just waiting for Snow and David to die so that they can move in. Creepy." She said placing the frame back down on the coffee table before examining the eerily bare loft, the walls the same peeling cream painted wood, but without the homely feel that Mary-Margret had given it. "It's officially a cold day in hell when I move in with the Charmings."

"Are you okay, Lass?" Hook asked, his hand on the girl's shoulder as he sat down beside her. Apart from her still trembling hands, she seemed okay – physically at least.

"I will be," The girl replied, wrapping her tattered shawl tighter around her frail looking body.

"And Swan? Emma. Is she alright? Where is she?" Hook pressed and Regina would admire his determination had he been a little more tactful in the approach. There was a trembling (presumably) teenage girl sat on the sofa having just been saved from some kind of beast and here he was half interrogating her.

"I don't know," the girl said, and Regina saw Hook tense at the words. She couldn't blame him, not one bit. They all wanted Emma safe and home, even Regina. Emma had worked herself to the bone to get Regina a chance at her happy ending, even taking the burden of the darkness, Regina had no problem helping her get home. "She's in an underground prison. She helped me espcape through the tunnels –"

"– Sound's like our saviour –" Regina said under her breath, remembering all too clearly when Emma had saved Marion – Zelena – during her time travelling adventure. Still, the girl continued like Regina hadn't spoken.

" – They let out in a cave somewhere in the woods. And then you found me."

"This cave," Hook said, looking at the girl intensely, his heroic recuse mission already being planned in his head, Regina didn't doubt. "Could you locate it again?"

"Yes." The girl didn't miss a beat, and Regina was sure Hooks ears pricked at her words. "But it's being guarded by something terrible."

"What is it?" Regina asked, thinking far more practically the Hook seemed to be. He doubted Hook even registered the girls warning of the terrible creature, decided instead that he'd storm the cave like the valiant hero he wanted to be and walk out with Emma in his arms. Somehow, Regina doubted that was how it would play out. If she knew Emma at all, she knew that she would much rather save herself. It was certainly a cold day in hell if the saviour couldn't save herself.

"It has three heads." The girl began, her voice shaking as she spoke. "It's teeth can crush your bones with a single bite. And those eyes," she stopped to look out of the nothingness she'd been focusing on, looking instead to Regina as though she could portray her warning clearly. "They burn right through your soul as it finished you off."

"I'm sure we can get past a simple hell beast." Typical, Regina thought, shooting Hook an aggravated look. Whatever this beast was, it wasn't to be taken likely. As determined as Captain Hook was to find his love, he was going about it far too recklessly for Regina's taste.

"Nothing can defeat this monster." The girl said, but Hook still seemed ready to charge the bat cave and glide past whatever was guarding it.

"That's not true. I know exactly what this beast is." All head turned to the doorway as they found Mary-Margret, her bow in hand, face still red from crying, but her slight smile more hopeful than Regina had ever thought possible in a place like this. "And how we're going to defeat it."

* * *

Emma had been in her fair share of fights in her life, bail bonds did that to a person, and she'd suffered her fair share of injuries, but nothing would ever compare to the pain she was feeling as she was dragged from the beast's jaws and rather unceremoniously let drop onto the cold marble floor.

"Oh, this is turning out to be quite an exciting day." A man's voice said above her. She'd have lifted herself up to get a better look but it would have been pointless. She could feel one of her eyes, the left one, bursting and swelling shut to the point that trying to see through it was a chore and she was almost certain that blood from her temple had dribbled into the other, stinging and burning slightly as she tried to blink it away.

"It will be," Emma managed to grind out, finding against her pain for just a moment to prop herself up on the arm that hurt the least, her bloody palm again the black marble floor. "When I defeat you." It was weak, Emma knew that, she was all but powerless here in the Underworld, her magic barely fizzling under her skin. She was pretty much defenceless, and judging by the echoing chuckle from the man who'd bent down to her level, her lie was nothing even close to convincing.

"Why does everyone say that?" He asked, flipping a blood matted curl from out of her face. She could see him now, having blinked away the blood from her un-blackened eye to look at the man above her, pinstripe suit and all. He looked like the office boss she'd never had, someone from a television drama or a soap opera set with a gangster mafia. She could even see a plush, throne like chair behind the man, which she was sure spoke for itself. "You can't kill me, and you can't defeat me. I am Hades," He stood up then, and Emma had to crane her neck to see more than just his shiny shoed feet. "This is death." He was laughing, the sound deep but mocking and Emma would have spat at him if she could've reached, but the taste of blood was still in her mouth and her throat was raw and scratchy. She'd only end up missing and it would be more embarrassing than it would be rebellious.

"I'm sure I can find something worse than death," Emma wished her threat hadn't ended like a question because here Hades was again, kneeling beside her to peel away the collar of her barely held together leather jacket t show the blood stained white sweater beneath it, holes cut through the wool from the bite marks of the hell hound.

"Oh, I see you've met my pet," Hades said, a smile to his words as he released Emma's collar, leaning his face down closer to hers, the smell of burning filling her nostrils the closer her came. "You, Saviour, are about to realise that his master is not nearly as friendly."

* * *

Finding their apparently much needed help had been a far quicker affair than Killian had thought. All it took was enduring the bickering between the evil queen and the blind witch behind the counter and then leaving Snow to talk the poor lad into helping them. Killian thought maybe 'lad' was not quite the right term for the demi-god who'd spent half a lifetime trapped lugging boats and various other heavy objects around the docks, but now wasn't the time to think of a better one.

They were making progress, albeit slowly, but progress all the same. Snow had even managed to convince the boy-god to help, to face up to his own demons in the process. It was all very poetic and Killian felt sympathy for the lad, he truly did. But every time they had to stop to give muscles a pep talk was time they should be spending finding Emma. Hook knew that Snow was venting grief where she could, sparking hope in others was her way of keeping the flame of her own hope alight, and Hook would not begrudge her that. It was just if they spent more of their time searching for Emma and getting her home they wouldn't need to vent any grief because they'd have her back, safe and sound.

They'd found the tunnels in the woods with ease, Meg's directions being rather thorough and well-remembered. Hook supposed she didn't want to stumble anywhere near the tunnels entrance again by accident.

They were in the mines, the path seeming somewhat familiar to those who had ventured through them in Storybrooke, Regina seemed to at least know which ways to turn. The problem was, they weren't sure which tunnel they'd need to take, Regina's knowledge of their schematics would only get them so far before the beast Meg had feared reared its ugly head and ceased their rescue mission once and for all.

"Alright, Wonder-Boy," Regina said as they reached what they were sure was the correct tunnels, eyes sharp as they looked for any sign of the hell beast. "Are you sure you can do this?" Her words went at all comforting, and had Hook not been sharing in Regina's concerns he may even have told her to lay off the lad. As it happened, he did, and so chose instead to level Hercules with nothing more than a questioning glance, eyebrow raised prompting an answer.

"Regina!" Snow said and Hook fought back very hard the urge to groan. Of course Snow would protect the boy, they were childhood friends after all, but that did not change the fact that Emma's life – existence, even – was on the line. Who knew how long they had left to find her, and if this demi-god was truly their only hope, then perhaps coddling him wasn't the answer. "I know you can do this." She reassured and even Hook could feel the pressure put upon the lad. As much as Hook wanted to be the one to save Emma, he did not envy Hercules and the heroic burden he was having to bear, Hook's guilt was a heavy enough burden without adding more expectations.

"We'll find your daughter," Hercules replied, his hans gripping Snow's shoulder. Hook wasn't sure if it was t comfort the still horribly grieving mother or to hold himself upright, but he also didn't ask. Regina, however, looked ready to mock the poor boy into the next realm. She was saved the trouble as Hercules stepped through the group, shoulders squared and his grip tight on his sword. He took one look at the tunnel before tunring back to them and he looked all but ready to turn and run. Hook could see the way the lad clenched and unclenched his jaw eyes searching Mary-Margret's in the eerie red light. "Wait for me here." He said before setting off down the tunnels, not giving anyone the chance to agree nor disagree with him.

It was short lived, of course. Hook should have known not to get too hopeful about 'Wonder-Boy', as The Queen had so eloquently called him, being their knight in shining armour. Hook would happily have faced the beast alone if it meant getting to Emma faster than they were. As it happened, he was left standing with Regina and Snow, watching as Hercules, their demi-god hero, came running down the tunnels towards them, the best hot on his heels. Mary-Margret had even gone to help, an arrow already notched in her bow at the first sound of the monsters growls.

Hercules was beside them, unarmed and Hook had a feeling he'd dropped his weapon in his haste to get away. Regina was poised and ready, her magic not overly reliable in this world but sputtering weakly none-the-less and Hook, well, Hook had his hook. They didn't stand a chance, but they were standing none the less. They only stood down when the piercing whistle cut the air, the beasts growls fading into silence as the heavy footfalls moved away from them.

"What the hell was that?" Regina asked, voicing their thoughts as they looked down the empty tunnels.

"I called him off," A voice said from the darkness, and just like that they were ready to fight once more. They weren't sure what they expected, but as a man dressed head to toe in a seemingly impeccable suit stepped smoothly into their line of sight.

"Who are you?" Hook asked, watching the man before them as he regarded each face with his pale, calculating eyes.

"My uncle," Hercules said, his voice not strong but still bristling with contempt as his clenched his fists beside him.

"Hades?" Regina sounded almost impressed, if not a little curious as the man took another step forward, tilting his head at The Evil Queen mockingly.

"Don't look so surprised. Who did you think was I charge of this place?" He gestured slightly with his arms to the walls of the tunnels either side of them, but Killian knew of this god, Liam having told him stories of the three gods as boy. The god of the sea, god of the sky and finally, the god of death. Now, Killian had already met one of the three having had his run in with Poseidon, and that had been far from pleasant. All he could hope was this one would be a little more reasonable. "Your Mummy?" He asked Regina mockingly and any thoughts Hook had of this god being reasoned with were flushed away.

"Well, if this is your realm then perhaps you can answer a few questions," Regina said boldly, taking her own step forward. Killian had to applaud her bravery but he also felt the need to roll his eyes at Regina's attempts at intimidating a deity. He'd tried it once and it hadn't ended at all well. "Like why does this Hell-hole look like Storybrooke?"

"I have my reasons, and I don't have to share them with you."

"Leave them alone, Uncle," Hercules piped up once more and Killian could see the lad was bristling, ready for a fight. It was an improvement from the boy who had come running back to them empty handed not five minutes ago.

"there's that famous courage people love to talk about!" Hades explained, gesturing towards Hercules with open arms, like a proud uncle showing off his nephew. This moment, however, was far less homely. "Oh, Hercules, did you really think you could face Cerberus again?" And the penny dropped.

"Again?" Snow asked, her brow furrowing in confusion for just a second as she looked between Hades and his nephew, the latter of which was making a point of looking anywhere but at the bandit princess.

"He didn't tell you?" Hades spoke up and Hook could _feel_ the man's amusement even from where he stood.

"Cerberus killed you." Snow's voice was barely above a whisper, but they all heard and Hook could feel the hope as it began to fizzle from Snow. Whatever hope they all had about Hercules vanquishing Cerberus and helping them save Emma was slowly dissipating into the air like Hades laughter, leaving solemnness in its wake.

"I didn't want you to know," Hercules reasoned, finally looking at her and the sorrow in her eyes. "Snow, I couldn't let you down."

"Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of, Nephew," Hades spoke once more, clearly revelling in the tension surrounding them in the enclosed mine. Whatever moment was being shared between the once childhood friends snapped like a twig as Hercules turned his eyes back towards his uncle, leaving a slightly watery eyed Snow to look after him. "After all, losing your life to my little pet is what finally brought us together as family." Hook was sure he'd have scoffed at the man's words of family had he not been feeling the slowly dropping weight of their situation like a bon his heart. Their chance at saving Emma and defeating the beast was dwindling, Snow White was losing hope and Regina couldn't even sass her way out of this. Hook couldn't help the feeling that instead of their heroics, they were to end up leaving these mines with their tails between their legs of risk the wrath of Cerberus.

"We're not afraid of you." Snow said, stepping forward and between Hercules and Hades like the protective mother she was. The determination on her face made it seem like she'd walk right past Hades, head held high and return with Emma in an instant. As much as Hook liked the turn out of the scenario, the glee that lit up the god of the Underworld's face as Snow spoke told him it would take more than motherly determination.

"Oh, Snow White. Or is it Mary-Margret?" He asked and Hook noticed how Snow's feet shifted slightly, her shoulders rolling back as she held her head up, her jaw set firmly as she eyed the god of death. Killian gave her kudos for that, at least. "My nephew said you were a spitfire, but trust me, you _especially_ should be afraid of me," He said, and Hook felt his own muscles tensing at the man's words. "Because the next time you interfere with my family; I will come after more of yours." That was enough to grab Killian's full and prompt attention, his back straightening as he and Regina, quite comically, stepped forward at the same time to back up Snow.

"Bring it." Hook said, clicking slightly on the 'T' as he stepped forward once more. "We're not going to bloody rest until we find Emma." He ground out, Hades threats doing nothing to deter him, in fact, if anything they were spurring Hook on, getting the pirate riled up and ready for a fight.

"That must make you the pirate." Hades said, rather unnecessarily, his eyes turning to scan Hook's face, then his clothing and finally, his hook. "Killian Jones. Captain Hook, I have waited a very long time for you." Hades' face was joyful as he studied Killian's face, watching how the pirate's jaw clenched and unclenched, the nerve just beneath his jaw bone twitching as he fought not to punch this man into the afterlife. As amusing a thought as it was, he was sure that kind of rashness wouldn't do Emma any favours, and he wasn't about the squander any chance he had of finding her. "Well, since your lovely saviour likes to send you messages, I told her I would deliver this one personally." He lifted his hand then and hanging on the end of his finger was Emma's leather jacket, the ripped and barely recognisable material having appeared in his grasp without a trace. Hook heard Snow's sharp gasp and was sure either Hercules or Regina was comforting the grieving mother, but Hook couldn't take his eyes off the jacket, unable to tell what was leather and what was blood, the material so torn it looked unwearable. He felt bile rising in his throat when he thought of what possible state Emma could be in now if she was more in Hades clutched than before.

"What the bloody hell have you done to her." Hook snapped, eyes burning as he fought the urge to lunge at the man before him. It was a gentle touch on the crook of his arm that stopped him. He didn't know who it was, if it was Snow who he could hear valiantly trying to hide her sniffling behind him, or Regina trying to think rationally about the situation. Perhaps it was even Wonder-Boy, knowing that starting a fight wouldn't get any one of them anywhere. Hook still wanted to try.

"It's not what I've already done you should worry about," Hades said, a triumphant grin spreading rather manically over his features as he watched the group before them began to topple at the mere sight of Emma – a part of her, at least. "No, it's what I'm about to do." And with the slight tip of his finger, Emma's jacket fell before the god flourished his hands, his body engulfed by a torrent of blue flames as he disappeared from the mines.

* * *

"Why would I ever help you?" Henry asked, the powerful scent of whatever horrid perfume Cruella was wearing filling his nostrils in a painfully burning way. He was surprised it hadn't made his eyes water.

"Because, Henry," Cruella said with her drawling voice, smiling at Henry like the cat that go the cream. "If I come back to life, guess what happens?" Henry didn't answer, he had a feeling that he didn't want to. "The woman who killed me – your mother – is no longer a murderer." Henry could feel the cogs ticking away in his mind, Cruella's absurd idea already falling into place, but Cruella had already voiced his thoughts before he had the chance. "You see, by helping me, Henry, you can restore Mummy Dearest to the pure soul she once was." Cruella's arm was wrapped tightly around Henry's shoulder, smothering him slightly with the mouthful of back fur that pressed against his face a she held him. "And if I can come back,"

"So can she," Henry said aloud, not even bothering to keep the wonder from his voice. He could do it, even if Hook could split his heart, he wouldn't need to. Henry could be the hero and bring his mother back to life.

"You can save her."

* * *

"What are you doing up here?" Regina asked as she climbed the stairs of the loft, finding Mary-Margret sat on Emma's bed, her daughter bloodied and torn leather jacket in her lap, fresh tears falling down her soft cheeks and onto the ruined garment. "We still have to find Emma."

"I don't think I can help." Mary-Margret said, wiping under her eyes with her hand quite pointlessly since she was still crying, avoiding looking at Regina's face at all as she sniffled.

"We can't have you quitting," Regina was mocking her, she knew, but holding the tattered remains of one of the things that had made her daughter who she was, Mary-Margret couldn't find it in her to laugh. Not today, not anymore.

"I'm not quitting," she said, sniffing once more as he met Regina's question gaze. "I'm being practical,"

"Since when were you practical?" Regina's words had a bite to them, but Mary-Margret had felt too much pain in the past few days for it to have any effect on her.

"Since my daughter died." Mary-Margret's voice was flat, blunt and honest, something that made the truth of the situation really hit home. Even Regina felt an ache in her chest as the grieving mother's words. After all these years, Mary-Margret was fracturing, her defences crumbling without the hope that held her foundations in place. It was a horrific and heart breaking sight to behold. "This is all my fault. I thought I was doing the right thing. Hercules was destined to kill Cerberus. I thought it would help us get Emma back."

"But now is not the time to give up." Regina countered, but Mary-Margret had already looked away, her finger toying with one of the many tears in the fabric of Emma's beloved jacket. "Need I remind you that I dedicated years of my life to knocking you down? But nothing could ever stop you." Regina had never imagined she'd be in this scenario, spouting hope speeches to a mourning soul to get her back onto the mission at hand. It was surely a cold day in hell as Regina was sending _way_ too much time with the Charmings.

"You took my kingdom. Cast your curse. I lost my _daughter_ for twenty-eight years." Snow said, her voice sounding more hopeless than harsh and Regina had trouble thinking which would be worse. She felt as though she was cornering a terrified animal, like a wolf with an injured leg. If she pressed to hard it would lash out, but if she didn't do something then it would slip from her grip and be lost, wounded and alone. It was not a situation she was at all enjoying. But some things needed to be said and some debts needed to be repaid. Mary-Margret had been there for Regina in her most hopeless of moments, and even if the young woman's advice was rarely heeded, it was always accepted.

"And then you found her."

"And lost her again. Now I can't even find her, let alone save her!"

"You managed to defeat me in a way no one thought was possible," Regina spoke out, her voice softening. She had Mary-Margret's attention, that was certain, the teary eyed woman looking back at her with her sad green eyes, just waiting to be kick started once more. "You made me your friend," Thar gauged a small, albeit sad smile, but it was a start. "By never giving up on me. So what's the difference this time?"

"How am I supposed to save her, how am I supposed to help anyone stand up to Hades when all I have are speeches about hope." She sounded angry, self-depreciating and as much as Regina hated to say it defeated. Snow White sounded defeated, broken down by the words of the god who held her daughter fate in his palm. Thought Regina understood Mary-Margret's pain, she didn't for one moment accept it. She knew that if they let their pain of this loss get to them for too long, then this was a wasted trip. Never mind saving Emma, if they couldn't even keep themselves afloat. They had lost that battle with Hades, but Regina was determined that they would not lose this war. And there was no place in a war for a school teacher.

"You're right, Mary-Margret can't help," Regina said as Mary-Margret eyed her curiously, her tear stained face looking so pitiful in the unflattering red light of the Underworld. "In fact, we don't need her anymore. Emma needs her mother. We need Snow White."

* * *

Killian had no idea what Regina had said to Mary-Margret, and frankly he didn't care, not when it was enough to get her out of her stopour of lying on Emma's bed with the ruined jacket in her hands. In fact, it was more than enough. Killian had no idea how Regina had done it, but she'd not only convinced Mary-Margret to move, but she'd convinced her to put aside her crippling grief and to step up, to drag Hercules back into the firing line with her. And somehow, the two of them had defeated Cerberus – _together._

"Maybe defeating Cerberus wasn't Hercules' only piece of unfinished business," Snow said with a smile, looking ast where Hook stood at the diner's counter and to the two barely adults sitting together, one with a blanket around her shoulders, the other with a shy and slightly awkward smile. "Maybe he needed to save her too."

"You doing alright, Lass?" Hook asked, seeing how Mary-Margret's eyes began to wander over the pair, a small, barely there smile playing on her lips.

"You didn't know me in the Enchanted Forest, Hook." Mary-Margret said, knotting her hands together in front of her. "But I was someone who took risks even when she was afraid. Who, I guess, inspired people. And I almost lost that." She said solemnly, but before long the small smile returned as she lifted her head to look at Regina. "And old enemy reminded me of that." Now Regina smiled in turn, clearly remembering their conversation in the loft, how the Queen had managed to rouse the bandit princess from her sorrow and get her to stand up once again and fight. To see Mary-Margret without hope was truly an awful thing, it seemed to leech the life out of their surroundings, but seeing her now it was something different. She was awake again, and determined. And that was what they needed if they were to save Emma. "I don't ever want to run the risk of forgetting who I am again. Espcailly with my daughter on the line."

"What are you saying?" David asked, stepping towards his wife with curiosity clouding his tired eyes. He'd been searching more than anyone else today, so much so that they'd not even been able to find him at times. It was only as the day began drawing to a close and the fight against Cerberus became a real threat that the prince made his way back to them. Killian couldn't blame him, after he'd grabbed a hold of Emma's jacket he'd wanted to do nothing other than storm the tunnels and demand her return, whatever the cost.

"I'm saying I don't want to be Mary-Margret anymore." She said, standing up straighter, her eyes brighter than they had been since they'd entered the dreadful realm, perhaps even a little before. "I want to be Snow White again."

* * *

"Do you think you can get to the prison through the tunnels?" Meg asked Hook, standing beside Hercules on the stone out cropping that Regina had led them too. This, she'd said, was where her father had passed on after his judgement, this was where he'd found his peace.

"Aye, thanks to you map," Hook agreed, holding up the folded piece of paper for good measure before tucking it once more inside his jacket's inside pocket. This map led him to his Swan, and there was no way he'd risk losing it.

"If it wasn't for Emma, I'd still be rotting in that cell," Meg began, her face unburdened for the first since Killian had found her, huddled and afraid in the woods. She looked far more alive, like this, like the pretty young woman she was, unburdened by fear. She was free and soon she would be at peace to. "You'll tell her that I did the right thing? That she was right to trust me?"

"Aye, she'd quite the judge of character," Hook said with a smile, remembering how she'd held a bade to his throat, her hand fisted in his hair as she told him she knew he was lying. What he wouldn't give to have that moment once more. To have her close, her fingertips brushing his skin, her skin warm and alive. "I will tell her. Thank you, Lass."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay and help?" Hercules asked for what Hook was sure to be the third, maybe even fourth time. Snow smiled at him kindly, steeping towards him on the outcrop of rock, eyes studying his face like it would be the last time she'd ever see it. Then again, with their impending paradise quite literally on the horizon, Hook supposed that it was.

"I think you've been down here long enough," Snow said, her voice encouraging as she smiled at the young man she'd once known and idolised. "And if you don't leave before your uncle finds you, who knows what he'll do." Hercules nodded his agreement, as did Hook and Meg. They'd witnessed just what Hades was capable of doing to those who had displeased him, sending Cerberus after Meg and torturing Emma was likely child splay to what he'd do to his own nephew who had deceived him.

"You will save your daughter, Snow," Hercules said, sincerity in his eyes as he held Snow's shoulders before pulling her into a farewell embrace before he embarked for the other world. "I was right," He said as he pulled away, stepping back so he stood beside Meg. "You became an amazing hero,"

And with that he turned away, his eyes cast out over the bridge and the blinding light that shone from the opening. It was glorious, Hook knew, and he couldn't help but wonder what would happen should Emma be faced with this choice, to move on and finally find peace in her life. He'd never even considered if she'd wanted to be saved or if she'd rather pass on and leave the pain of her past behind her.

Shaking the thoughts away he watched as Hercules took Meg's hand, the two of them beaming widely at one another as they crossed over the bridge, ready to be consumed by the waiting light.

Somewhere in Storybrooke, the sound of a clock face ticking could be heard, two moves of the hand for the two souls who had been set free.

* * *

"The prisoner you aided in escape," Hades said as he strode into his throne room, the sound of rushing water and rolling fire doing little to drown out the distaste in his voice. "She has moved on from this realm." Despite herself, Emma smiled, the action along making her face hurt, as she eyes Hades through her one good eye.

"I hoped she would," Emma said, groaning as she shifted her weight against the podium she was leant against, her back sticking to the bloodied material of her knitted sweat rather painfully. The smiled died on her face when she saw Hades draw his latest weapon, the metal sliding with the clink of a sword pulled form its sheath. She couldn't tell what type of instrument he held, but she did know it wasn't going to be pleasant and flinched unconsciously at the thought. "Just get on with it." She gritted out, biting slightly on the inside of her already split lip. The blood had long since dried, the wound clotting and ready to scab, but the pain was still there. In fact, the pain was still everywhere. She'd not exactly take the time to ask Hades _why_ he felt the need to do this to her and she figured once she did she'd have wished she didn't. Emma was far more content biting back her pain and enduring what she could rather than give Hades the satisfaction of seeing her break.

"Oh, this?" Hades said with a slight chuckle, holding the instrument higher so Emma could see it clearer in the light. "No, this isn't for you," he said and Emma didn't even curse the sigh of relieve she felt slip past her lips, her good eye slipping closed just for a second as she basked in the feeling. "It's for your family," And then her, thought it wasn't pumping, ran cold, blocking out the pain just for a moment as she let his words sink in.

She tried to pull away as Hades drew nearer, but his hand had already encircled her, pressing the scuffed wood of the handle into her pal and closing her fingers around it. She knew what it was now, a chisel, the type they had used in woodshop, the kind that should it go missing, the entire class would go into lock down until it was found. She didn't want to hold it, but Hades was insistent, every time her grip slackened, he was there to tighten it once more until she held the chisel, however begrudgingly, of her own accord.

"And what do you want me to do with it?" She asked, letting the bitter contempt roll out in her voice, looking as Hades looked down at her like a teach would their least promising pupil.

"Simple accounting, really," He said, his face barely thirty centimetres from her own. "At first, I wanted your family to leave, I really had a smooth running operation going here before they arrived," he said with a chuckle, "But now I've decided they've caused too much damage and my vindictive side," he paused, whispering his next words at her with faux surprise, "Did you know I have one?" And then he smiled before returning to his well thought out explanation as to the carving instrument in Emma's grip. If she had the energy she supposed she'd could sink the chisel into Hades' flesh, see if the god bled as she did, but Emma did not have a vindictive side, and she'd seen and experience first-hand just what havoc revenge wrecked. No, Emma did not have a vindictive side, but she did know Hades had one. "It wants to punish them."

"So," Hades exclaimed, getting back to his feet. Emma half expected him to flap his coat tails like men in crappy villain films did, she'd have at least be amused by that. Instead, he swished his hand for just a second as the empty space before Emma became occupied by three bland, nameless grey tombstones, one of which Hades had taken to leaning on like it was a garden fence and he was merely having a nice, Sunday afternoon chat with his next door neighbour. "from now on, for every soul your friends free, one of them is going to have to stay" His voice was almost amused as he patted the top of the stone he leant on in what Emma would almost call affection way. "And you, Saviour, get to decide _who."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said, this chapter was far longer than I'd intended, and some of it is paraphrased. Also my proof reading is crap, so sorry for any typo's or shitty grammar.
> 
> I felt the need for the Henry and Cruella story to continue since now Henry has much more of a reason to actually help Cruella. In the canon show I thought the reasoning was pretty weak. I'm sure being the dark one did far more damage to Emma and everything she did during her time as the dark one than killing Cruella did.   
> I also wanted to show more of David and Mary-Margret's pain, so let me know if you think I did that okay too. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter and I'll try to update with Devils Due soon. Which should be fun as I get to incorporate Milah into it.


	3. Devil's Due

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are ending up being so long! Seriously, I'm looking at about 10,000 words a chapter (SO far) and if I do end up including every single episode that would be 120,000 words for one story, which would break my record for fic length by 38,000 words, which would be pretty insane. 
> 
> As it happens, I don't know if I will do every chapter. But, not without good reason. Basically, after 5.14 with Killian's dilemma with being saved or not, the story become more about defeating Hades than saving Killian, and I think it would be more or less the same with saving Emma. Obviously, certain characters will be more motivated and other things could get in the way, but I think the plot would stay the same, which is why I might skip through the bits that wouldn't be integral to this story, like Ruby and Dorothy, as much as I liked it in the series, it was there for the purpose of getting Snow home, not saving Killian (Or in this case Emma) But that is still u for debate, don't worry. I may still write it all. 
> 
> One more thing before this little note becomes a fic in itself, I'm working on a Once Upon a Time and The Walking Dead AU at the moment and wanted to know how popular that kind of cross over that will be. I'll post a little snippet of it at the end of the chapter and I'm not going to force you to read it. If, however, you like the sound of it, feel free to let me know with a comment or even a PM. 
> 
> I'm sorry I've gone on so much but I felt that needed saying, anyway, enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!

_"Do not go gentle into that goodnight,_

_Rage, rage against the dying of the light."_

_\- Dylan Thomas_

* * *

"Found more arrows," Regina called through Mary-Margret's loft, the rest of the group collecting anything and everything they could for, as Henry had taken to naming it, Operation Firebird.

"You do not want to see what that hell beast did upstairs." Robin said, emerging from what would be Emma's room, his bow in hand, ready for whatever fight there was before them. Killian had a feeling it was going to be a good one and he was, so far, armed with his hook and determination.

"What are you doing?" Killian felt himself tensing at the voice and had to remind himself, nice and firmly, that the crocodile would never be stupid enough to turn against all of them, not here, and not when he had everything to lose should he not get home.

"We're going to rescue our daughter," David said and Killian had to appreciate the strong, prince-like lift to his voice. Killian had seen how hard David had taken the business with Emma's passing. And yet, no one had seemed to notice just how hard her father was taking it because he was seldom around. He'd spent hours searching for Emma in every place that they had already looked just so he could ensure there was nothing they'd missed. He'd disappear for hours and no one would know where, all too wrapped up in their own planning and their own pain to realise. Not Mary-Margret though, she'd watch him as he left the room, the royal's sharing a look that could only be understood between two who shared a bond as strong as theirs, for those who had a single heart between them. And so she didn't go after him. He couldn't help but wonder if he and Emma would share such a bond when this was all over. "What does it look like?"

"We know Hades will have Emma in some kind of isolation," Killian said, cutting off the prince and the harsh bite to his words before he burnt out his pent up frustration. The last thing they needed before this rescue mission was for Charming to have spent his energy on trying, and most likely failing, to belittle the Crocodile. "And the girl told us of an entrance nearby."

"So, all forty-five of you are going to slip down into the deepest level of detention in the Underworld?" He was mocking them, of course he was. Killian had almost let himself forget of the 'omniscient' arrogance that Rumpelstiltskin seemed to carry with him like a neon sign. This man may see the future, but that meant nothing here, not in a place where time stood still and lives were already over. "Hades knows we're here. He will have put up barriers to keep the living out of all the places he doesn't want us going." There was nothing Killian hated more than agreeing with the Crocodile, and so he bit his tongue, instead trying to gauge what reaction Rumpelstiltskin was dragging from the red eyed royals. He was glad that the determination was still there. "You walk into his domain, you'll all be puff of dust."

"So, we instigate a new plan." Hook bit out, tired of playing by the rule Rumpelstiltskin was always trying to set. This wasn't his rescue mission; he wasn't a part of this. He was merely the means of transportation.

"Correct," Gold said, walking further into the room, all eye watching his movement as though it was just a matter of time before he turned on them, like the snake in the grass he was. "Five of you, occupy yourselves as you will. Perhaps cleaning." And he was making jokes. Brilliant. Another of the many reasons that Killian loathed this man. His ability to laugh and joke with such arrogance in the face of another grief. "You and I will go and save the saviour with the assistance of a helpful dead person." Now that, that definitely caught Hook's attention. "I can extend their aura, if you will, so that two living souls can get through Hades barrier."

"Hold on, Crocodile," Hook cut him off, the scepticism for this man too much to keep to himself. "Yesterday you hid away in your shop. Today, you've decided to lead our mission to save Emma with _my_ help?" If any of this scenario was unbelievable, it was that Rumpelstiltskin was openly saying that he would help Hook. All that was left was to wait for the other shoe to drop.

"Yes, because I've realised that if I don't step in, we're never going to get home," There was that arrogance once more. It was obvious really, that the crocodile would only help I the case of his own end. It seemed that Killian was simple the means to that end. "And I very much want to get back to my wife."

"And just how do you propose we get ourselves a helpful dead person?" It wasn't lost on Hook how quiet the others were being, and he couldn't help but wonder if they too thought that the Crocodile was their best hope. It was not a pleasant thought at all. "You see, souls aren't exactly bending to your will down here, Crocodile. And Hades seems a force to be reckoned with."

"You leave that to me," A far from comforting thought. "I've got a friend in mind."

* * *

The streets of Storybrooke were familiar, even in the Underworld, and so it hadn't taken Rumpelstiltskin very long by means of searching to find this 'Helpful Dead Person'.

Strangely, Milah didn't seem to look all that different in the Underworld, even with the modern clothing. Her skin was still pale, the thick dark hair pulled back and away from her face as she stood guard over the children of the Underworld.

"Morning, Dearie," He said when she spied him, her face falling as she looked between the children she was guarding and the nearest escape route, no doubt. "Don't worry," he said, as she began guiding the children into the road, allowing them to cross safely despite there being no real risk to their health, what with them being dead, and all. "I'm not dead. Just visiting." Rumple couldn't quite tell if she looked relieved by that news or not.

"How did you find me?" She asked, clearly having noticed there was no way for her to get out of this, and even if she did, it would barely take a flick of his wrist for Rumple to find her again. Milah seemed to realise this.

"You are standing in the middle of main street." He pointed out, revelling in the distaste that crossed her face. "You know, I must say, I do love the irony of your job." Rumple said, finding it far too difficult to bite his tongue. After all, here in the Underworld, he had no reason to. That and grinding Milah's gears was far too irresistible an opportunity to miss. "Watching the children, keeping them safe. Keeping them close."

"What do you want." She said, her voice cold as she settled her pale eyes on him, just as calculating as she had always been.

"I have an opportunity for you," Rumple said and the scepticism in Milah's eye was enough to make him want to scoff. He'd seen the exact same scepticism in Hook's eyes not an hour ago. It was no wonder the two of them had found one another. "A romantic adventure of sorts, to help the man you once loved."

"You?" She scoffed, her eyes wide and, if Rumple didn't know any better, he'd say amused. Not that he was at all surprised. She'd said it before. She had never loved him.

"No, I'm talking about Killian Jones." It was worth it to see the horrified, yet hopeful, expression that passed over her face.

"Killian," She breathed out, her pale eyes softening as she searched Rumple's face for any word of a lie. It would see she didn't find one, but the doubt was still there. "He's here?"

"Not dead either, I'm afraid." Rumple said, but the look on Milah's face was hard to distinguish. He wasn't sure if he was relieved that Hook was indeed still alive, or if she was disappointed that he was still alive while she was trapped alone down her. "He's come down to save someone who's receiving some _special_ attention from Hades. We need to retrieve her."

"Her?" The look of surprise on Milah's face was like gold dust. It as a rare expression, Rumple knew. They may not have had the happiest of marriages, but Rumple still knew there wasn't very much that could stun Milah into wide eyed silence as hearing of her old lover and his new life could.

"A new flame in you dear pirates heart." He said, unable to help taunting her this way. "It had been over two-hundred years," He added, far from sympathetically when he caught Milah's eyes cast to the ground, swallowing thickly past the unmissable lump in her throat.

"I'm supposed to watch the kids." She said instead, ending their trek into what would be undoubtedly uncomfortable territory. It didn't stop her excuse being poor, and the two of them knew it.

"Well, they're already dead?" Rumple said with a shrug, basing in the feeling that was leaving Milah speechless. "It's simple really. Can you stand helping me, if it lets you help him?"

* * *

"Now, I want you to think about why you're here." And by here, of course, Hades meant suspended from the ceiling by thick, looping chains wrapped around her chest, the rusted material digging painfully into still sore wounds. "You tried to escape. You freed another prisoner. You refuse to do what I ask," He said, ticking each one off on his fingers as he paced before her. Emma may be hanging in the air, but she still felt as though Hades stood above, jeering down at her bloody and broken form like a sadistic child with a magnifying glass. She was feeling an awful lot like an ant, after all. "And do you know the most important reason?" He asked, and Emma managed to choke out a reply, feeling the blood, dried and cracking across her lips.

"I'm guessing it's a good one." She said and she was sure she could feel the way Hades was looking at her, with a glee reserved only for those in power looking upon lesser men.

"Hope." He said, as though It was the most obvious answer. "You and your family brought contraband hope into my domain, and that is strictly forbidden." Emma knew he was trying to intimidate her and to be honest, she'd be lying if she said it wasn't working, but she managed to keep her face blank if not for a couple of winches in pain. "And despite some creative beatings," An understatement, Emma thought, remembering the ways Emma had been slapped and whipped, burnt until she thought she might explode and cut until she thought she'd bleed out. But death never came, because it already had. "I still see hope in your eyes. Now, I would like that gone before you reach the water."

"I'm not feeling all that hopeful," Emma said, her eyes looking down to the swirling green water below her, to the River of Lost Souls that was ready to claim her as one of its own. Her family may be here, they may be trying to save her, but that didn't fill her with as much hope as it had in the beginning.

"You, Saviour, are the daughter of hope." Hade said, reaching and gripping her face despite how far he had to reach. Emma tried keeping her wince to a minimum, but Hades heard it and he smiled at her pain. "The product of true love. You are the poster girl for heroes." It was something Emma had once prided herself on, being the saviour and the daughter of true love, but now, she felt like nothing more than a mockery. If Hade was trying to destroy her hope, she had to admit that it was working. "You have interfered with my carefully cultivated existence, So I'm going to hurt you. And if can break you, then I'll never have to worry about hope festering in this realm again." Emma was sure that, had it still beat, she would feel her heart hammering against her ribcage in fear, something she didn't like the idea of admitting. "And while you ponder this, I'm going to collect your little family and hurt them so there is going to be no one left to save you. Feel free to go mad." He said with a smile, shaking his head slightly as his hair burst miraculously into cobalt flames. It was what Emma imagined the sky would look like if it began to burn. "So long, Saviour."

She wanted to cry out, to shout and kick and scream until it all feel away, until someone heard her. But she couldn't. There was no drive to her body, no strength left in her bones. Emma was the saviour, yes, the saviour who along the way had somehow forgotten to save herself.

* * *

Milah knew better than to trust Rumpelstiltskin, that she knew. But at the mention of Killian's name all of her defences had fallen away like they were made of dust. And so that was why she stood beside Rumple on the sidewalk, her hands in the pockets of her street warden jacket as she scanned the street in front of her. The ton seemed dead. Not that it was unusual for the Underworld, but the streets were eerily quiet. Not a soul in sight.

And then there was.

Killian looked exactly as he had the last time that shed laid eyes on him, as her life slipped away in his arms. His face was still youthful, his stubble slightly out of control, but still Killian.

"Killian," She breathed, sure she'd only spoken loud enough for herself to hear, but then he looked up, his blue eyes, far too old for his young face widening at the sight of her.

"Milah," He said on a whisper, but she could hear it like he was right beside her. And then he was. He'd crossed the space between them in a few purposefully strides before his arms were around her, enveloping her in in the comfort of his scent she'd forgotten after her lifetimes down here. He smelt of rum and the ocean, to her, he smelt like home. "You're here." He breathed out, fingers twirling in the ends of her ponytail a she smiled into his shoulder.

"As much as I hate to break up such a nauseatingly touching reunion," And then the moment died as Rumpelstiltskin's voice sounded behind them. The last time Milah had heard that voice had been as he tore he heart from her chest, the smile on his face still branded behind her eye lids. "But we have a saviour to find."

"Rumple told me," Milah said, pulling away from Killian's embrace, but not enough to break their contact, her hands holding onto his firearms, taking in the appearance of him in what passed for modern clothes. It worked, she thought, suited him in fact, as much as his pirate leathers had. It would seem the Killian had taken quite well to this new time. "He told me who you're here to find."

"I'd have come after you, Milah," He said, his fingertips brushing the wispy hairs at her temples as his eyes scanned her face as though making sure every memory he had of, her was correct. It was both heart walking and heart breaking at the same time. The living cannot love the dead, nor should they. The living are meant to live, the dead, to sleep. "If I could have."

"I'd have never wanted that," She smiled and he knew she spoke the truth. She had no reason to lie after all. "And I am glad you moved on. Now," She said, grasping his hand and pulling it down and away from her face, but she didn't release him. "Tell me about her."

"About Emma?" He seemed surprised, or awed, perhaps, but he certainly hadn't expected her to ask. Milah was glad that even after all this time, centuries of being apart, she still knew how to catch him off guard.

"Funny you should ask," And once more, the moment was broken as Rumpelstiltskin stepped forward once more. "Miss Swan knew our son, Baelfire, before she met Hook. She knew him as Neal," Milah noted how Hook's, as Rumple had called him, jaw twitched, his grip tightening on her hand as Rumple continued what appeared to be a verbal assault on Killian's 'New Flame'. "They had a torrid affair which resulted in a scandalous teenage pregnancy." Milah felt her jaw drop slightly at the words. "I prison."

"You're telling me," Milah began, looking between Killian and Rumple with wide, shocked eyes. "This woman, the one you want me to help you save, has been with my former lover," She said, looking very pointedly at Hook. He wasn't sure if it was supposed to look chastening, but it did. "And my son. Is that right?" She asked, turning once more to Rumple who had his usual, shit-eating-grin on his face.

"Painting her in quite the light, are you, Crocodile," Killian said with a sneer, his eyes narrowing dangerously a he looked at Rumple with nothing but contempt. Killian was protective of this Emma, that much was for sure.

"I'm sure we'll all laugh ourselves sick about this one day," he replied and Killian was beginning to thick just how close he could get to punching the Crocodile before he used his magic as a defence. Killian was betting it was close enough. "I suggest you follow me before this gets even more awkward."

* * *

The walk to their destination had been had in a tense, heated silence. Milah's hand had released Killian's after the walk began, but she stayed close, enough that their knuckles brushed very few steps or so. It was a reminder, Killian thought, that she was still there, that she was real and here to help. He couldn't help the guilt that churned his stomach at the thought. As much as he wanted to save Emma, he couldn't help but wonder how it would affect Milah.

"We're here." Rumpelstiltskin said and Killian felt his steps faltering as they came to a halt beside the white picket fence.

"Here?" Killian said, his voice straining as he looked up at the light blue painted house with the white window shutter silhouetted in shadows against the blood red sky. "The gates to hell are in Emma's house?" he felt as Milah shifted beside him and was sure that the ties she saw to Emma were making her uncomfortable, but he couldn't help it. The last time he's step foot in this house had been to try and take Excalibur from Emma, to stop her doing something impossibly stupid. But he'd not been able to find the blade and had hope beyond reason that she had changed her mind. How wrong he had been. This house had supposed to be their future, his and Emma's, where they could live and grow old, perhaps have a family of their own among the way. Instead, it held all the pain of the past six weeks, days full of lies and death. It wasn't a sight he could look upon welcomingly.

"As was the stone with Excalibur. You have a clear knack for targeting real estate with hidden value, Pirate." It was a praise at all, more of a jibe, a point in the direction of Killian's failings. Rumple knew of the pain in this house, all he was doing was rubbing salt in the wound.

They climbed the steps to the porch in silence, nothing but the sound of their bated breath and the click of the door filling the space between them. The inside was as despairing to see at Killian had expected, the wallpaper peeling, floorboards all but rotted away and cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. And then he saw the crib in what was Emma's living room, sat just before the sofa that Emma had laid upon under Merida's. It was a cruel irony that a crib should lay in the exact spot that Killian had told Emma, in no fewer words, that he was going to destroy her, and make her hurt in any way he could. It was an icon for just what was at stake should they fail, the future that they may never get if things were not to go according to plan.

"Basement door?" Killian said, a pointless question really, but he needed something to tear his eyes from the crib, the one that Milah seemed fixated upon too, going so far as to reach for one of the cobwebs ensnaring the unicorn mobile.

"Basement door." Rumpelstiltskin clarified, seemingly not fazed by the house or the Emma's soul hanging in the balance. If anything, he looked a little bored. Hook reached towards it, quite naively, only for his fingers to hit a wall, an electric like current shooting up his arm like pins and needles. It wasn't unexpected, but far from pleasant.

"A barrier. Savvy," He said with a nod of acknowledgement. After his stint as the Dark One, Killian found himself knowing far more about magic than he would have liked. "What's your plan, Crocodile?"

"Joining hands will be fine." Killian didn't hesitate, his pride too much to allow him to join hands with the crocodile, already entwining his fingers with Milah's. They stepped through soundlessly, Killian leading the way, Milah and Rumpelstiltskin following behind.

"It seems you're not playing games with us." Killian said, releasing Milah's hand, however reluctantly, and stepping away. It seemed unreal, to see her here, as close to alive as she had ever been, her pale eyes calculating still as she looked over Rumpelstiltskin with the same scepticism he shared.

"Indeed," He replied, dusting imaginary dirt from his suit before gesturing forward, down the tunnel of bare red stone. "One step closer to hell." They continued their walk, none of them speaking as Rumple led the way, clearly familiar with his surrounding, or more so than the others, at least. "The spells gone. We'll be able to pass thought on our own now." He said, looking to Milah with a faux-grateful smile. "Thank you, Milah. You can run back to protecting the dead children."

"Wait," Hook said as she turned to leave, catching Milah's elbow with the curve of his hook, something that seemed to surprise her. It was easy to forget that the man he'd become, the cruel, vengeance hungry pirate with the hook for a hand had been born after her passing. She didn't know this Killian, and thanks to Emma's influence, she wouldn't have to truly. He wasn't sure if he was grateful for that or not. "Thank you for this. I just wish that we could have reunited under better circumstances," He was reaching for her again, but she seemed to step away, as thought she could read the angles of his heart and could no longer see herself there and was protecting herself from the pain of another woman's love. It was a lie, of course, there would forever be a space for Milah in Killian's heart, as Emma's held a space for Neal. It was the pain of similar losses that made them work. "And also –"

"You don't have to explain," Milah said, accepting Killian's hand within her own, squeezing it reassuringly. "You've found your happy ending, and I'm glad."

"It's not that, Love," Killian said, smiling softly. "You should know; I saw Bae as I was traveling to this realm." Milah's grip on his hand tightened as she stepped, however involuntarily, toward him, her wide eyes full of hope, something Killian had been noticing a distinct lack of so far in the souls of the realm. Even The Crocodile seemed to be paying attention now where he had previously looked disinterested by whatever was happening between the long parted lovers. "It was a vision of sorts, but he spoke to me."

"What did he say?" She asked, her eyes already brimming with unshed tears at the mere mention of her son. Killian had been the only one to truly se the extent of damage done by her abandoning of him, not even Rumpelstiltskin would understand the agony she went through, seeking solace in the circle of Killian's arms as the Jolly rocked her into a fitful slumber.

"That he's moved on. That he was happy." Her smile was blinding, as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She didn't even bother wiping it away. There was no shame in tears of happiness, Killian knew that, and he felt as though he would cry a river should he return with Emma safe. "Whatever unfinished business was left for him to resolve, he did it."

"Thank you, Killian," her eyelashes seemed to flutter as her eyes continued to water with joy, her relief evident on her face as she beamed up at him. She looked ready to embrace him and never let go. Killian wasn't sure he'd be all that opposed to the idea. "Thank you so much."

"Perhaps I've been too long on land," Killian said, eyes leaving Milah and instead scanning the walls of the tunnel they were in, "But I can hear water. "

"That would be the River of Lost Souls," Milah said and Killian could feel the shudder than ran through Milah's bones through their still joined hands. "We can take it to where Hades will be keeping Emma."

"I'm sorry, uh, _we_ can take it?" Rumple asked, but Killian was tuning him out, being far too focused on Milah and the gravity of what she was saying. "If this is you trying to win your pirate back," Rumple said, gesturing to between Milah and Hook's hands were still joined. Neither of them flinched. "Then I doubt he'll swap the blonde for the dead woman." Milah released Killian then, turning instead to face Rumple, the fire that Killian had seen in her eyes all those years ago alighting as she glared at her murderer.

"You might be dark, Rumple, but sometimes you're still an idiot," She sneered, unflinching to the roll of his eyes. "Besides, we're both dead down here. I have my reasons," She turned then to Killian, a soft smile gracing her lips, bringing out the beauty of ageless face. "Let me come with you."

"Milah, Love," Killian said, placing his hand on her shoulder "You don't have to do this."

"No, I want to," She said reassuringly, her hand covering his for a moment before she stepped out from beneath it. "If this woman truly is your happy ending then I won't stand in the way, not if there is a way I can help." Killian had never felt gratitude like this before, that he knew, his heart was reaching out for her, the spot with her name branded into the flesh beating harsher than it had in years. He could only hope that hers was beating as harsh for him. He felt guilty enough that his heart now belonged to another, he didn't know how he would react if he found that hers no longer belonged to him. It was selfish, he knew, but he couldn't help it. "Tell me honestly, did Bae love this woman?"

"Aye," Killian said, remembering Neal's words in Emma's yellow car, telling him to save her, to get her home. Bae had loved Emma, that had been certain. "He did,"

"The perhaps by helping you save her, I can make it up to him," She said and Killian began to understand. She was helping them by choice, but not for Killian's sake. She was doing this for the son that she had abandoned, perhaps when he needed her the most. "If you won't let me do it for you, let me do it for him."

"Touching sentiment, Dearie," Rumple said, making Killian's jaw clench unpleasantly. He knew Rumple didn't take lightly to others talking about his son, not even Henry. "But I do believe Miss Swan may be running out of time." It wasn't much, but it was enough to jump start Killian back into what he was down here for. As beautiful as it was, reuniting with Milah wasn't – and couldn't – be the priority. Emma needed him, and he's be damned before he let her down again.

* * *

"I trust this boat wont spring a leak." Killian said, eyeing the swirling, face filled water beneath the boat as it glided smoothly across the surface.

"This boat is the best thing we could have hoped to find," Gold said, his gaze no wavering from straight ahead, looking with interest as the cavernous walls caved up around the, "After we pick up the Saviour, it will take us all the way home," He sounded awfully sure of himself, Killian thought, as though it wasn't a matter of saving Emma's soul from impending doom, but instead to pick her up from Granny's since her bug broke down. It was easy to say that the arrogance was doing nothing to calm Killian's already fraying nerves. The gentle nudge of Milah's shoulder against his own, however, was doing wonders.

"This is it." Killian said, getting ready to damn near jump the gap between the boat and the small, red stone port, the cavernous entrance that showed nothing but darkness calling to Killian like a siren's song. "She's down there. I can feel it." He didn't wait for the boat to be moored, already clambering over the end and landing with his feet steady on the dusty ground. Killian was ready to to storm the gate of hell with all guns blazing in that moment, just from knowing she was close to him, but the Crocodile's voice stopped him.

"I'm not leaving the boat," He said, still planted firmly in his seat, looking up at Killian on the level ground and Milah, already half way out herself. "It's too valuable. You're capable of getting your saviour on your own, I'm sure," He reasoned to Killian's narrowed gaze. If he noticed the scepticism in his eyes, he didn't mention it. "Besides, I can't use my magic. Hades would notice this close to his home base. I can't help you more than I already have."

"If he's not moving," Milah said, her jaw set firmly as she spoke. "I'm not either. If he tries to steal this thing, I'll give a shout." Killian was glad that Milah suspicions mirrored his own, else there would be no one to man him. This close to her, with his still living heart thumping like a manic bird in his chest, Killian knew he would never have the strength to leave her. He'd charge into that cavern without a thought to what Rumpelstiltskin was planning, and if he was betrayed by the Crocodile in the process, he'd have no one to blame but himself.

"Aye," Killian said, nodding his agreement before turning his yes back to hers, his hand reaching to grasp her arm. "Thank you, Love. And when I'm back," He said, smiling a small smile full of hope and promise, one he was determined to keep. "I'll take you to meet Baelfire's boy," Milah's eyes were glowing when she looked at him, her smile hesitant with disbelief before it broke into something so much brighter than any fire, the happiness radiating from warming all it touched. All but Rumpelstiltskin, it seemed, who was looking at Killian was poorly disguised contempt.

Milah said nothing more, only lay her hand atop of where Killian's was still holding her arm. After one reassuring squeeze, she released him and Killian wasted no time before running off into the darkness, his heart afire with the hope that he was going to rescue the woman he loved, and then he's save the one he once had.

* * *

The tunnel had been far shorter than Killian had expected, or perhaps he was too preoccupied following the thumping of his heart until he saw the light at the end. The sound of water was still audible, but distant and somewhat drowned out by the pounding of his blood in his ears.

The tavern ended abruptly, Killian's boots skidding somewhat on the dusty red stone as he ground to a halt. The cavern he stood in was vaster than the one he'd sailed through upon the River of Lost Souls, but by the gentle rushing of water echoing off the high walls and ceilings he knew the river was just below the sheer drop at the edge fo the cliff he stood upon.

And then he saw her, her blonde hair, despite being matted and bloody, was still shimmering in the dimness of the cavern, her jacket was gone, no doubt still in Snow's arms as she continued to hope for her daughters return.

"Swan," He breathed, his body seizing at the sight of her, suspended above rickety looking mesh as the chains lowered, her body jolting with the force of it. Even one brought her one step closer to the water, one step closer to being lost. "Emma!" He called out, hoping for a reaction, for any indication that she was alive – or as close to it a she could be – to make sure that all hope wasn't lost. Killian wasn't sure he cared if it was, he'd dive into the river without hesitation, even if it was simply to bring her body back to her grieving family. "Hang on, Love," He called, already skirting the edge of the cliff, noting the thick, metal girder that seemed the only crossable point. But it would be enough to hold his weight, and even if it wasn't, he couldn't think of a better way to go than trying to save the woman he loved. "I'm coming for you," He said, toeing the edge of the girder for any obvious signs that it would fall into the depths below.

After deeming it safe, Killian sped up, lengthening his strides as he heard the chains clink once more, The toes of Emma's boots already falling below the platform. He had a feeling that there wasn't much time left to save her and so he did the only thing he felt he could, he jumped the rest of the way onto the mesh. His foot slipped on the landing, but he regained it fast, his arms reaching out in front of him until he felt the softness of Emma's torn sweater.

"I've got you," He exclaimed, his arm looping under her arms as the chains dropped once more, and then he was hoisting her up, pulling with little effort until she was lying on the platform, her head lolling on her shoulders. "I've got you, Love," He said on a whisper, untangling her arms from the chains that bound her before fulling taking in her beaten and bloody form. "Emma," He said, fingers ghosting over her slit cheek like a feather. She groaned then, her head rolling to the other side as her eyes – or eye, as the others was purple and bruised – fluttered slightly. "Oh, my love," He said, coaxing her to a sitting position, her wince and moan of pain breaking his already fragile heart. "What has he done to you?" The vision of her from the Ale od Sinead barely held a candle to the damage he saw now. Her sweater was more red than white, large holes punctured in her shoulder from what Killian guessed to be Cerberus' handiwork.

"You shouldn't be here," She breathed and the hoarseness of her voice was just another blow to Killian's gut. He may be there now, ready to save her, but he couldn't quell the fear that the damage was already done, that his bright and beautiful saviour was breaking. He held her as tight as he could without any sign that he was harming her, his hand cupping her cheek as his thumb ghosted over her split lip. "None of you should." He pulled her closer then, barely a tug, his arm looping her shoulders. He was afraid if he didn't that she'd fall apart, and most of all, he was afraid that he wouldn't know how to put her back together. "I told you to move on, find your happy ending,"

"Aye," Killian said, his breath disturbing the hair by her ear as he forehead rested against his shoulder, in weakness or comfort, Killian didn't know, but he didn't care to as either. She was there, that was all that truly mattered. "But I told you, Emma. It's you." She laughed then, at least Killian believed it to be a laugh, one that quickly broke into a cough, blood trickling down his neck where her lips had settled.

"You're impossible," She breathed and his blood ran cold when he felt no breath against his skin, no warm from her body besides that which the hells fire had imprinted upon her. It hit him then just what Emma was, not just breaking and not just wounded, she was, in all the ways that counted, dead. Only her mind remained alive, and Killian was yet to see the damage that had to been done there.

"Would you want me any other way?" He asked, gripping her a tiny bit tighter, pressing his chest to hers as thought he could transfer his heartbeat. Emma may be dead, but she wasn't lost, not anymore. Nor was she beyond saving. Killian was going to make sure of that, even if it cost him his own soul to do it. "Time to get you out of here, Love."

* * *

"So," Milah said, at across Rumplestiltskin in the small wooden boat, doing what she could to defuse the thickening tension between them. "You're married now. That's real."

"Look," Rumple said, clearly not looking to keep his thoughts to himself. Not that that was anything new. "If your unfinished business if love for the pirate then it's definitely off the table."

"My unfinished business was never Killian," Milah said, sounding almost insulted by the thought, her eyebrows raising as she looked at her ex-husband with akin to disbelief.

"Then wh –" Rumple began, but Milah was quick to cut him off, something he noticed happening more and more these days.

"It's Baelfire," She said, grabbing his full attention, all mocking gone from his body. "Our son." Her pale eyes were wide, as though the idea that Rumple hadn't realised was unimaginable, that he thought what was holding her here could be anything else. "I should have been there for him, not punished him because I'd grown to hate his father." If Rumple was bothered by such an accusation, he didn't show it, only continued to watch her with his curious eyes. "I was selfish," She admitted, her eyes prickling slightly as she remembered her boy, her Baelfire, barely four years old and hiding behind his father's leg in the tavern, wondering why his mother wasn't at home. "I thought I could change that. If I could do something generous – help save the woman he loved – then maybe I could finish what I need to."

"So you want to move on," It wasn't a question at all, more of a statement, Rumple's eyes more understanding towards her than she thought she had had ever seen. She could have sworn she even saw sympathy in those cold depths.

"Yeah. So I can see him again and say 'Son, I'm sorry for everything.'" Her eyes were stinging but she didn't cry. If there was even a glimmer of hope that she may see her son again then no, she would not cry. "There's nothing for me here." For over a decade she had waited for something to stay for, she'd even thought Killian would join her after perhaps forty or so years. But then centuries passed and nothing changed, it still hadn't. Killian was here for another, and if saving her would help her in any way, then she'd drag the poor woman out of the Underworld herself, anything to see her son once more.

"He'll forgive you." Rumple said, and Milah looked to him, barely having noticed she'd cast her gaze away, looking instead as the cavern walls to distract her from the tears brewing in her eyes. She would not cry. "I betrayed him aswell," He elaborated, shame in his voice as he linked his hands in front of him. "As a grown man he re-entered my life, and he forgave me. He'll do the same for you,"

"That's a nice thought," she replied, smiling slightly despite herself. If rumple could be forgiven after all he'd done, if he could be redeemed in the eyes of the only one who mattered, then perhaps she could too. "It's just, I really want to see him again."

"You will," Rumple said and it was oddly encouraging, the faith he seemed to have in his words. "And when you do, tell him hello from his papa." There was a beat then where the two smiled at one another, understanding that they had some middle ground – the love for their son. And then Hades appeared and everything froze.

When the spell broke Milah's mind was clouded, her body jolting as she half fell out of the boat, managing to find her footing for a moment before she was stood once more on the red stone floor. When her thoughts were comprehensible again, Milah felt her eyes searching for Rumple, landing on his arrogant, highly held form in seconds.

"What the hell!" she exclaimed, any trust, however weak, had been built between them sifting into ash. "Hades was just here. What's going on, Rumple?"

"Congratulations, Dearie," Rumple said, his voice almost mocking as he looked down on her like a king would a peasant, with power and slight amusement. "I've finally become the man you always wanted me to be. The one who takes what he needs." And then, with a wish of his hand, the boat was set aflame, the wood crackling behind her before she could do anything to stop it. True to her word, she called for Killian.

"Killian!" She shouted, her voice bouncing off the cavernous walls as the heat from the boat began to warm the back of her legs. Even if Killian did hear her, even if the warning got through, they would have no way of escaping this cavern. Not without that boat.

"Milah!" Rumple shouted back. She was confused for just a moment before she saw Rumple's hand recoil. The magic hit her like a punch to the gut, and then she felt her body suspended in the air for just a moment before she was falling backward, straight into the river, her entire life and everything she was ready to be washed away like a footprint on the sand. She closed her eyes, praying then that Baelfire did indeed forgive her, praying that Killian did save his love and most of all, praying that Rumple got exactly what was coming to him. And then the river swallowed her up.

"Hades!" Rumple shouted, hearing the footsteps echoing through the tunnel before he saw their owner. With a quick blast of magic his suit sleeve was burned, ready to portray whatever lie fell easiest off the tongue. He could only hope that in her state, the Saviour's 'superpower' wasn't working as it should.

"What the bloody hell is going on" Hook demanded, emerging from the tunnel's mouth with a barely conscious Emma held tightly in his arms, his hand under her knee as his hook rested at her back.

"Hades," Rumple said as convincingly as he could manage, gripping his slightly burnt arm for emphasis. "I tried to stop him. He blew my magic right back at me. Milah," He said and Killian's grip on Emma tightened, the pained gasp that slipped through her lips the only thing that grounded him in that moment. Killian knew bad news when he heard it, and this, this was as bad as it could get. "I couldn't stop it. She'd gone."

Gone. Just like she was before, only now, there was no goodbye. There was no love shared in the final moment and there was no closure. Killian had promised to take her to meet Baelfire's boy, to let her have one last tie to her long lost son before she began her journey to be with him once more. Killian felt as though his promises were becoming less and less solid nowadays.

"Milah," Emma croaked, her head lifting from where it lolled against his shoulder, her one good eye looking up at him, still bloodshot from whatever hell she had endured. "Your Milah?" It was an innocent enough question, but all it did was remind Killian that she was indeed gone. He'd said he was willing to sacrifice anything if it meant having Emma back in his arms. It seemed fate was a fickle and cold bitch.

"Aye," He said instead, looking back down at Emma despite how it craned his neck to do so. "She helped us get to you." Despite the pain in her eyes, Killian could still see the guilt hiding there. She had been afraid that in their efforts to save her, someone would be lost. Perhaps this was just the beginning of those losses. Emma wasn't sure how many of them she'd be able to bear. "Hades has much to answer for."

"Indeed he does."

They'd reappeared in what Emma quickly realised to be the foyer of her home. IT wasn't as dark as she remembered, but far more derelict, with wall paper peeling and cobwebs hanging from every available surface. Killian had placed her back on her own two feet as soon as the smoke had cleared, but her legs were unsteady, he knees wobbling as she gripped Killian's leather jacket for purchase. It was unnverving, the last time she'd been insdie this house she'd been shrouded in darkness, hiding Excalibur in plain sight so Killian wouldn't stop her from doing just what had to be done. There were already too many ghosts in this house, and unless things went to plan, she was going to be another one of them.

"Emma!" The swimming of her brain had disorientated her enough that she hadn't even noticed as the front door swung open, her mother, father, Regina, Robin, and worst of all, Henry all pouring through into the building.

"Mom!" Henry shouted, not being able to resist barrelling into her, his skinny arms wrapping around her stomach as his head rested against her chest. Killian much have heard her pained gasp beause his hand never strayed from the small of her back, a gentle reminder that he wasn't going anywhere, and if she needed to crumble and fall, he would be right there to catch her.

"Hey, Kid," Emma breathed, her hand reaching to cradle his head against her, wishing beyond all reason that her heart would beat, just once, beavuse she could feel as Henry pressed his ear against her sweater, listening for a sign that she was in fact alive. The sniffle her hid in the bloodied material told her that her wishes had gone unanswered.

"Oh, look at you," Mary-Margret said, abandoning her bow on the floor as she reached her hands to cup Emma's bloody face, tears welling in her mother's eyes. It reminded her of the first time the curse had broken, when Emma had found her family again, waiting for her on the street, only this time, they'd found her.

"You're all here," She said, looking out of her one good eye as Regina nodded solemnly. It seemed Emma wasn't the only one uncomfortable with Henry's presence in this realm, and yet, she felt there was nothing that could be done about it.

"Of course we are," David said, filling in the space on the opposite side of Hook, hugging her to him with Henry and Mary-Margret in two, his hand holding her head in the paternally comforting way it always did. All in all, they managed to create a slightly awkward, elbow in ribs and painful (For Emma, at least) family hug. She would never have changed it for anything. "How did you do it?" David asked, his eyes red with unshed tears as he raised his head to look instead at Hook, a soft, disbelieving smile playing at his lips. It seemed the pirate had indeed won him over.

"The Crocodile got us in with the help of an old friend." The family embrace had ended, and yet, none of the charming' seemed able to let Emma go. Henry still had his arms around Emma's waist, head rested over where her heart should beat as though he was willing it to flutter once more, David's arm rested around Emma's shoulders so delicate she barely even felt the weight of it and Mary-Margret was gripping Emma's hand so tight, Emma was sure if a hole were to open in the ground beneath her, she wouldn't have to worry about falling in. "He used his magic to return us here. We even had a boat to get home," He said and Emma could _feel_ the hope that filled the room around her. "But it's gone now."

"What happened?" Mary-Margret asked, holding Emma's hand in both of hers, stroking her thumb over Emma's still bloodied knuckles. The relief in her voice was enough to lift even Emma's spirits in that moment.

"Hades attacked. We lost the boat and –" Hook broke off, his throat closing up as he remembered. Milah, they'd lost Milah. She'd risked near everything to help him find his happy ending, and now she was gone. He didn't even get a goodbye. "And a friend," He finished. The pitying looks were bearable, if only because they were shrouded in the relief that Emma was back, she was there with them. There was good that came from such a sacrifice. The thing that hit Killian like a punch to the gut was the feeling of Emma's back resting against his side. It was a gentle, barely there gesture that told him in now few words, that she was there for him too.

"Hook told me you took away my sacrifice." Emma said, tugging slightly out of her family's embrace to turn instead towards Rumpelstiltskin who seemed awfully disinterested in whatever it was she had to say. "Everything I did to pay for my mistakes and save my family went to giving you your power back." Even in her current state, wounds still open and a couple of them weeping, Emma managed to sound strong, to stand tall even as she shoulders slumped under the weight of her pain and trauma. It was a burden Killian would give anything to bear for her. "But you did help get me out of there. So, I should say –"

"Thank you? No need," Rumple said and even beneath the blood and grime, Killian could see how she clenched her jaw.

"We're even." She ground out, wobbling as she stood by herself now, her aching limbs holding her up right, but far from steady. "For now."

"I just wanted to get home: and yes, you're welcome, Saviour." Emma knew there was sincerity behind the words, but one good act was not enough to erase a lifetime of bad. She knew that, and the patronising tone her used with her, like he was talking to a child. She had been a saviour for Rumpelstiltskin once upon a time, but she wasn't anymore, at least she didn't feel like one.

"We're sorry you lost her." Robin said, nodding to Killian in a way that told him he understood. Not long ago, he'd been reunited with a lost love of his own, only to have torn away from him once more.

"She made me who I am," Rumple said, shrugging as though he too was in mourning. Killian doubted it very much. He was the reason he was down here, after all.

"Hardly something she'd want to be remembered for." Killian all but growled, and Emma found herself reaching back for him, her fingers gripping his hook when she felt the cool metal against her skin.

"Okay," Regina said, clapping her hands together like a woman ready to kick-start a mission. For all Emma knew, that's exactly what she was. "We don't have a way out, but we didn't have one before, anyway." It wasn't as encouraging a speech as, say, Mary-Margret or David would have given, but Emma supposed it wasn't meant to lift their spirits. "My magic's working now, so lets do this heart split so that when we find and exit, we can get through it."

"Heart split?" Emma asked, abashed, turning towards Killian with her one wide eye. Killian coming to the Underworld was one thing, but tearing his heart in half just to get her out? That was crossing a line Emma wasn't sure she'd have even seen. But then she realised, with a love story such as her parents standing not two feet away that yes, she would have done exactly the same thing. It didn't make it any less terrifying.

"It's a good plan," Killian said, his hands reaching for her free one, entwining their fingers together. Emma gripped him back a little too tight, the bumps of his rings indenting grooves into her skin already. "Trust me, Love. It'll work." Emma nodded, not entirely sure she agreed with the plan, not sure it was worth the risk of Killian being trapped down here as well. But even Emma knew that wasn't the truth. For however good she was at reading other people's lies, she was an expert at reading her own. Emma didn't know if she even deserved to be saved, let alone to have lives of those she loved risked in the process. "Well then your majesty. Get on with it." But it was too late to stop it even now.

Killian turned away from her then, his hand releasing hers, but he knew by the gentle tug that she was yet to release his hook. He was grateful for that, because he knew first hand just how much this was going to hurt. He braced for the impact, his fist clenching as his eyes squeezing shut as she tried to focus on his breathing, of the way Emma wasn't breathing, and how much she needed to again. He felt as Regina's hand made contact with his chest and then – nothing.

Opening his eyes, he saw the Evil Queen backing away, shaking out her hand as thought she'd just stuck a fork in a plugged in toaster.

"Interesting," Gold said, and Emma had to agree. She knew Regina was _more_ than capable of taking a heart, and she knew that Hook's could be taken having held it in her own at one point. And yet, something had forced Regina back, like when Cora had tried to steal her heart.

"What the hell?" Regina asked, checking over her own hand, no doubt for burns or bruising of some kind, but seemed to come up empty.

"What is this? Why the bloody hell didn't it work?" Emma knew he was frustrated, but she couldn't help the feeling of gratitude that his heart was exactly where it was supposed to be. That Gratitude was, however, short lived as the group arrived at the graveyard.

"Hades," Emma breathed, gripping tightly to Killian's jacket as his hooked arm held her up right. "He told me to pick three names and chisel them onto the headstones. He said that whoever I picked would remain in this realm." And yet, it seemed that Hades had taken to picking all by himself, names that Emma recognised and felt like a punch to the guy carved into the dreary grey stone before her. "I refused." She felt as her mother's hand rested on her forearm, her father's coming to rest on her shoulder as they smiled down at her sadly.

"Well, it looked like he did the picking himself." Regina said, eyeing her own name on the tombstone. Sat beside it was Snow White and on the far end, right in front of where Emma stood, read Killian Jones.

"What does it mean?" Hook asked, eyeing the tombstone with his name with clear distaste. Emma knew it wasn't what the stone meant, but the stone itself that unnerved him. Killian wished to be buried at sea, wrapped in white and claimed by the ocean, not buried in the earth never to feel the water again.

"It means we're stuck here," Regina exclaimed, looking ready to burn the stone until nothing was left. Emma had a feeling that it wouldn't be doing them any favours. "It also means we can't use your heart to save Emma." The three people holding her griped tighter and Emma was fighting very hard – she really was – not to protest out of pain. She tried not to look at Henry where he stood beside Regina, but she still did, her eyes meet his and seeing the hopelessness beginning to form. She never wanted to see such a look in her son's eyes. It was heart wrenching.

"Well, I got Miss Swan out in a day, and you lot managed to find a whole new way to fail." Rumpelstiltskin said, looking between the group like a pissed off father would his petulant children. But there was no love in his gaze, no care or understanding. Just annoyance and a little bit of amusement, undoubtedly because his name was not among those on the stones. He'd probably find his own way out of the Underworld and leave them all to perish. "I'll be in my shop."

And so they stood, staring at three graves tethered to three souls and wondering just how much more was to be lost to save their Saviour.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I apologise for my shitty spell checking. If anyone fancies being a beta for me I'd appreciate it. 
> 
> So, let me know what you think and the OUAT/TWD AU snippet is below for those who are interested.  
> ********************
> 
> Travelling alone had been a stupid idea. Travelling alone on the single most congested highway in her yellow bug to search for a man she hadn't known for sure even wanted finding had been suicide.
> 
> "I'm really glad you're here." She said, listening to the slaps of rotting hands on the windshield and the windows, of starving groans barely a ruler's length away from her ear. Emma reached her hand towards him in the dying light - or perhaps it's the bloodied bodies clambering on the bonnet blocking out the sun - but he doesn't take it immediately like she'd hoped he would.
> 
> "Why?" Killian said, a half-hearted laugh escaping his throat as he looked helplessly for an escape route. He may have left their camps weeks prior, but the lesson of hope had clung to him like a bad smell. Emma was almost grateful for it. "Because misery loves company?" He smirked, but she couldn't return it. Not now, and if things didn't improve, not ever.
> 
> "Because I don't want to die alone." Her voice sounding so feeble, so childish, like the lost, little orphan who had cried alone in her foster homes, praying for her parents to come and save her from her nightmare world. But no one came, like no one would now. The nightmare would only end one way for her, and God, was she terrified of it.
> 
> And then the invincibility was gone and defeat was admitted. So, Killian accepted her outstretched hand because this may well be his last chance to. It was terrifying to think that it may all be over for them, the pirate so far from the ocean and the saviour who never even thought to save herself. He was afraid - he'd be a fool not to be - but he's grateful that she is here too, and he hates himself for the thought alone. But he's already realised, perhaps even before they were reunited, that if she is to disembark from this cruel and tragic life in such a gruesome way, he'd willing perish beside her.


	4. The Brothers Jones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo Update! 
> 
> I haven't had a chance to proof this yet, but I will over the week. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!

_"There is no sense in punishing your future for the mistakes of your past."_

_-Melanie Koulouris_

* * *

"Come on, Love," Killian said, his hooked arm around Emma's waist as he led her towards the sofa. They'd left the graveyard deciding they need a plan to release everyone from the Underworld, something that would likely be a challenge after rescuing Emma from right under his nose. "Let me look at you," He said, helping her to sit. If he knew her at all, she was probably cursing herself for being so vulnerable and leaning on him, but with her back in his arms he couldn't find it in his heart to care.

"Are you sure you want to?" She said with a pain laugh, clutching her side as she landed on the sofa, her head falling against the headrest as she breathed sharply. "Hades, well, you can see what Hades did."

"Aside from the obvious," Killian said, sitting beside her, his hand probing at her side the way she had once down to him as he lay in the mud, only just having rolled over the roof a car. "I'm going to wager you've got some broken ribs," He gritted out, hating the way her body felt so broken beneath his fingertips. Emma was made of steel; she always had been. It took something far stronger than Killian could ever imagine to break her, and here she was, quivering slightly at his touch.

"That must be why it hurts when I laugh," She said with a soft smile. If Killian's heart hadn't broken before, it was now. Listening to her, the strongest woman he'd known trying hard to smile through her pain as the once wild fire in her eyes dwindled to embers. It would take something monumentus to reignite such a flame, and Killian wasn't sure he had what it took.

"Perhaps I can help with that," Regina said from the kitchen where she had been stood with Robin. After leaving the graveyard, Emma had insisted her parents take Henry back to the loft, to keep him away from her until something could be done. Emma couldn't stand her son seeing her like this and seeing him here, in the Underworld, it was becoming more of a burden than she was willing to bear. But, she was Emma, and so she bore it. It had been a reluctant decision, but David and Mary-Margret had finally agreed, giving their daughter a quick kiss on the cheek and a teary eyed smile before guiding Henry away. With a quick wave of her hand, Emma felt as her pain ebbed away, Regina's magic healing the damage from Hades. That which was visible, at least. "Now, I can imagine you two have a lot to talk about. I'll check on Henry and keep the Charming's at bay." She said, her hands clasped in front of her as she turned to leave.

"Regina, thank you," Emma said, her voice far clearer without the pain, but no less haunted. "For everything. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't change my mind."

"Well next time you decide on a death wish, try something a little less gruesome." Regina said, rubbing her gloved hands together as though she could still feel the quiver of Excalibur in her palms or the warmth of Emma's blood as it ran between her fingers. "Bad for the towns image," She said before turning entirely and leaving the house, Robin in two.

"How are you doing, Love?" Hook asked unnecessarily. He could only imagine the hell that she had been through end even after behind saved he couldn't imagine she'd be doing okay for quite a while.

"Better," She said. Not a lie, he noted, especially with her face clear of injury and her hair no longer matted with blood, but 'better' was a very long way from okay and an ever further distance from good. But, Killian suppose he had to count his wins. "How much did Henry see?" This however, was not one of them.

"Enough," he replied, skirting the topic as briskly as he could. Judging by the tension in Emma's shoulders, he hadn't skirted enough.

"You should never have brought him here," Emma said matter-of-factly, her eyes looking across the room, focusing a little to intently, Killian thought, on the basinet in the centre of the room covered in cobwebs.

"Aye, but the lad's persuasive," He said, trying for a laugh, perhaps sharing of memories from when he'd found her in Boston, or even when he'd planned to steal a car to get to New York. It was a long shot, he knew, but Emma seemed too distant for any other approach.

"You should never have come here," he deadpanned, and Killian felt as the heart that wanted to violently to be split, sunk like a stone in his chest.

"Emma," Hook said, reaching a hand out to hold hers, only for her to pull it away and place it in her lap just out of reach. "What's wrong?"

"It's just a lot has happened between us."

"What's the problem?" I he could sense her hesitation then he didn't mention it, and she was grateful for that. But then she noted it was just another thing in the long list of amazing things Killian had done for her, things she could repay.

"I am." She finally said, pushing herself off of the sofa, no doubt anxious to move without the lingering pain. Killian still noted how she flinched if she moved too fast, no doubt some internal injuries still knitting themselves together. "I'm the one who cause all of this," She said, gesturing to the house around them that sat dilapidating in the underworld, the crib she recognised from her own nursery in the enchanted forest and most particularly, Killian, sat "I was so scared of losing you that I held onto you too tight, just to lose you in an even worse way."

"You never lose me, Love," Killian said, stepping up from the sofa himself, even reaching out to grasp her hand with his. She didn't pull it away, another win.

"But you lose yourself. And that's on me, because I took away your choice." She did pull her hand back then, Killian chasing after the contact, only for her to take a full step back, crossing her arms over her chest. "My whole family, and everyone I care about is a hero. I'm not even a saviour anymore. I just can't measure up."

"Let us be the judge of that." He said, reaching for her, but she held back, the way she had so long ago. The way he'd hoped she never would again. "If you didn't measure up, would we have come here to save you?"

"That's my point, Killian." She said, running her fingers through her hair. It was probably a relief to be able to do so without feeling blood and tangles between her fingers. "After all I've done, all the pain I've caused, I'm not so sure I deserve saving." It felt like she'd slapped him, and to be honest, he wished that she had. That he could handle, but this, seeing Emma fixed up but still so tragically broken, her eyes cracked like glass as they looked at him, the light having died some time ago. Killian had been prepared to fight just about anything to get Emma safe and home once more, but to fight her on this? It wasn't something he thought he'd ever have to do.

"So, what are you saying? He asked instead, feeling the nerve twitching in his jaw as he looked at her, so washed out in the red light of the Underworld, her heart hidden once more beneath the layers of armour he'd worked so hard to peel away. "You want to stay down here? You want to leave your parents and your son behind?"

"Don't bring Henry into this!" She exclaimed, but even her argumentative voice sounded weak, like she'd not slept in weeks. It was with a punch to the chest that Killian realised, she hadn't. "I told you to –" She began, but was cut off by a knock to her door. Having not been in this home for her entire duration of the Underworld, Killian could understand why Emma found no suspicion in the event. He, however, knew that the souls of the departed were rarely to be trusted. "Hi, can I -" Emma began upon opening the door, only to be cut off again, this time by the man who had knocked. A man who's face Killian knew better than his own.

"Liam." He said, disbelieving of his own eyes as his brother stepped over the threshold, bypassing Emma in the doorway.

"Killian," Liam replied, blue eyes wide and surprisingly joyous as he looked at his younger brother. "So the rumours are true. After all these years, my little brother is finally here."

* * *

 

"So, Killian, you're here to save this woman," Liam said, gesturing to Emma across the table with his glass of rum. Emma didn't wonder why there was rum in this house, Underworld or not, this home had been chosen by Killian.

"Aye," Killian said, sipping his own drink and trying hard, Emma notice, not to look directly at her. She wasn't surprised. Their conversation wasn't over, only postponed until a later date, hopefully when all other relatives were otherwise engaged. "But what about you, Liam Why are you down here?"

"I wish I knew," Liam said and Emma could already hear the alarm bells ringing. They were fainter than usual, her mind fogged with guilt and trauma, but Emma still knew a lie when she heard one. "I spent countless years trying to figure out a reason."

"There is no reason," Killian said, sounding horrified, even going so far as to slam his hand against the table, rattling Emma's glass in her hand. "Hades has the game rigged so no one can leave. My brother is proof of that," Emma stil had her doubts, but seeing the way Killian was looking at his brother, with the same sense of awe she's caught Henry using when he looked at her, Regina or David. It was the way you looked at your hero and the doubts in Emma's head were making her head swim. "Never did a bad thing in his life. He even died nobly, stopping a treacherous king from poisoning the realm."

"Stop it, you're making me blush," Liam said, but Emma could _feel_ his dishonesty like a continuous poke to her arm.

"Hades has the two people I love most trapped down here, and that cannot stand." Emma didn't miss the look Liam sent her, but his expression was not an easy one to read. Even his lies were making her brain swim. They didn't make any sense. Emma was no expert on siblings, but Killian spent Liam's entire life with him. How could he possibly have any deep dark secrets? "The only ay everyone will be free is if we defeat Hades once and for all." He made it sound oh-so-easy. "Liam, you've been down here a very long time, surely you must know something that can help."

"I know this is a very dangerous game you're playing," He said, voice dripping with disapproval that seemed to roll right off of Killian. "There are those who have tried to overthrow Hades before. They always spoke of a book which had the power to defeat him. I tried to find it myself, but I'm not even sure what to look for."

It was a lie. Emma could feel it, but the cogs were still ticking inside her head. The power of books was something Emma had learnt the hard way, but it had been learnt none the less, and it wasn't going to be something she'd forget.

"A storybook?" She asked, looking to Killian who's eyes were narrowed in thought.

"Storybook?" Liam said, sounding far more patronising than Emma hoped he meant to. "I wager it would be more than stories." He said and Emma felt her teeth ready to grind together. But then she felt Killian's hand grip hers, his eyes seeking hers out full of realisation.

"No, no, no," He said to Liam. If he was at all surprised by his brother's disagreement, he didn't show it. "She's onto something." She smiled despite herself, a quick little thing that judging by the quirk of Killian's lips and the softness of his eyebrows, he caught it. Emma wasn't sure if she should be happy or not. "In our world, there's a book like this. So far everything up there has a version down here,"

"So there's probably one in the Underworld somewhere."

"There must be. If there is a story in that book about Hades, we can learn his weakness and exploit it," He was confident, something Emma hadn't seen from him properly since Camelot, back before everything faded to black.

"All right," Liam said, easily swayed by his brother's sincerity. "IF you believe in this Killian, I'm with you to the end." He said, even raising his glass and tilting his head, something Emma had seen Kings do at banquets in shitty movies back when they were nothing but stories. "This fiend has trapped us both and tortured the woman you love. The day you push sailors too far –"

"Is the day that mutiny begins," Killian finished with a grin, clinking his own glass against his brothers. Emma followed suit, savouring the moment of seeing Killian so full of joy before taking a sip of her rum and trying to shake whatever bad feeling it was that she was feeling against Killian's only family.

* * *

 

The search for the book so far hadn't been easy. Mary-Margret in her newfound practical mind had suggested that they search the loft. It had been in the back of her wardrobe in Storybrooke that she had found the book the first time and then again when the Wicked Witch had come to call. It wasn't too ridiculous an idea, but it was somewhere to start. With David, Mary-Margret, Regina and Hook looking through the contents of Underworld Mary-Margret's wardrobe, Emma headed up the creaking wooden steps to what wa supposedly her Underworld room, the bed unmade and all the furniture covered in white sheets and a thick layer of dust. It was eerie to say the least.

"Emma," She heard Liam say behind her as she rummaged through empty cabinets. "Can we talk?" he asked, his hands in the pockets of his dark pea coat as she turned around to face him.

"I this the protective big brother talk where you want to make sure I'm good enough for Killian?" She asked with a slight chuckle. Killian was not the same man that Liam had left behind, so whatever ideals he had in mind for what was god for Killian was likely way off. "Because –"

"NO, because I already know you're not good enough," He cut her off. The words his her like a slash across the stomach (Something she was no stranger too) and smarted like it was on fire. There were no reasons for his words to hurt so much, but Emma could already feel the doubts getting ready to creep their way into her head after however many days in this hell trying to block them out. IT appeared that the brothers Jones were just as disarming as one another, thought the concept with Liam was far from welcome.

"What?" Emma asked, her mind reeling slightly. She could understand Liam not liking her, that was always a possibility and people tended not to like Emma all the time, but never had they told her outright that she wasn't good enough, at least not with such cool brutality.

"Killian told me why he's down here," Liam said, his voice polite despite his obvious dislike of her. That was probably even more infuriating, how he could hide his emotions behind his smart mouth, something Killian also had no issue with doing. "He told me that h blames himself for your death, but he also told me what happened," Of course Killian blamed himself, why wouldn't he. Emma may have known that everything that had happened was her fault and hers alone, but Killian was getting far too good at being a martyr, he was almost on par with her now. "It sounds to me like it's not his fault at all. It's yours." Believing something was entirely your fault was one thing, but to hear it spoken to you so coolly by a bystander was something else entirely. It made everything feel awfully and suddenly very, _very_ real. Emma had caused all of this. Killian had died for or because of her twice now, one in the wrong storybook and again in Camelot. If their chances against Hades were truly that slim, she was likely going to get him killed again, and for what? To pay for the mistakes she herself had made? Poor little orphan Emma, so desperate to be loved that forces people to stay with her. IT was a pitiful story.

"I think we both made mistakes," Emma said, but the doubt was creeping into her voice and weakening her own conviction, something Liam clearly didn't miss.

"Killian has been fighting darkness his entire life," Liam said matter-of-factly, as though he'd been there for the entire 200 or more years after his own death and had seen Killian's struggle first-hand, something Emma knew to be false. "And you pushed him over the edge,"

"I was trying to save his life," Emma bit back, already disliking this brother and his self-righteous I-Know-What's-Best tone as he looked disapprovingly down his nose at her.

"And it was a bloody selfish thing to do," Liam snapped, and Emma felt herself recoil from his words like they burned. If he was being perfectly honest, she thought they might have done. "He had the chance to die a hero – to move on – and you took it from him," Emma already knew what she'd done to save Killian had been foolish and rather ignorant, but to stand by and watch someone else she loved died had been agony. Of course she'd been selfish and she already hated herself for that decision, but she couldn't find it in her un-beating heart to regret it. She'd rather spend a lifetime down here, hating herself for what she'd done than for her and Killian's roles to be reversed, for him to have died in that field surrounded by such gentle beauty. "Now e's risking his life, his own future down here to save you."

"I never asked him to come down here and save me," Emma spat back harshly, wishing beyond anything that Killian had just let her be, allow her to suffer the consequences of her actions and to have died saving her loved ones. That was enough for her, but it wasn't for him.

"But you knew he would," And somewhere, niggling around in the back of Emma's mind, she knew he was right. She did know that Killian would go to the end of the world for her and she'd stupidly assumed he'd just let her be down here. As far as hindsight went, Emma's was kicking her repeatedly. "You are not what is best for my brother, Emma," And what hurt the most, was how she believed his words and the truth that they held.

"Were you this self-righteous when you were alive?" Emma said, but not in disagreement with his words.

"When it came to my brother, yes," Emma could understand that entirely. "If we defeat Hades today then perhaps you can forgive yourself and have the chance to move on," Liam said and Emma was finally figuring out his endgame. Not only did he want Killian out of the Underworld, but he wanted Emma gone too, so far out of the picture that not even Killian Jones could follow. "When that happens, if you truly have Killian's best interest at heart, you'll take that chance and move on." He said bluntly, already turning to go. Emma, however, stood planted, her eyes beginning to water at the prospect of leaving not just Killian, but her son and her family behind. "Stop thinking of your own desires and allow them to return home to their lives and futures, instead of chasing ghosts."

And then he was gone, descending the stairs with eh same strong set to his shoulders that he'd ascended them with. Meanwhile, leaving Emma with trembling knees and her hand clamped over her mouth as she stood gripping the bed post and trying her hardest not to break down like the miserable little orphan she was beginning to feel like.

* * *

 

Emma allowed herself a few calming breaths and a quick wipe over her face before she even considered walking down the steps and into the main room of the loft. She'd been rather daft to no expect Killian to be waiting at the base of the stairs for her and even more so for not expecting him to see something was wrong.

"You alright?" He asked as she neared him, his hand reaching for her shoulder, but she slipped just out of his reach.

"Yeah," She said, unconvinvlingly, trying to force a smile and failing. "I'm fine."

"I meant to give you this back," Killian said, riffling in his pocket quickly and pulling out the red stoned ring on the end of the silver chain she'd already returned to him once. She opened her mouth to argue, but Killian was already draping the chain around her neck with his hand and his hook. "If any of us need the luck form this," He said, his hand reaching to touch her face. "It's you," Her eyes were watering again, she could feel it, along with the burn of Liam's gaze over Killian's shoulder. And so she nodded her thanked, tucking the ring beneath her sweater and away from prying eyes.

"Let's keep looking," She said reasonably before trying to bypass him, only to have the non-existent breath knocked out of her as Henry's growing body collided with her own. Emma hadn't spent anywhere near as much time with him as she should have done, but instead of dwelling on it, she added bad mothering to the never end list of reasons for her to leave them and hugged him back, trying not to choke as he squeezed her tighter.

"What's going on?" He asked, but didn't pull away from Emma fully, keeping his arm wrapped around her waist while hers hung across his shoulders. _Let them get on with their lives._ Liam's words replayed in her head and she fought hard not to look at the other Jones brother, or either of them for that matter focusing instead on her mother as she spoke.

"We're looking for the Storybook. Underworld edition," Snow said, riffling through the boxes of stuff in front of her. Emma was finally beginning to notice just how exhausted both of her parents looked. She's be surprised if they'd slept at all since making it to the Underworld, let alone any sleep they got being peaceful. Another reason to move on slotting into place on the infinite list.

"Really?" henry asked, sounding awfully enthusiastic, Emma noted but was too tired to question. "I might know exactly where it is." That sparked some interest for sure, and not just from Emma.

"How would you know that?" David asked, sounding more worried than interested. Emma had been so preoccupied with Hades and Killian's brother that she'd not even gotten the chance to ask where it was Henry had been slipping off to on his own. The Underworld was dangerous enough for the dead inside of it, lord knows what it could do to the living.

"The Apprentice," Henry replied as though it was obvious. "I saw him at – at Granny's," He was lying, Emma thought, but with the way her lie detector had been on the fritz since entering this realm, she could hardly say her word was law. "He said the sorcerer's mansion is down here and there is a bunch of his stuff inside. Like the storybook."

"Finally, some good news," Regina announced, smiling down at Henry who seemed awfully smug with his detective skills. Emma hadn't even had the chance to ask him what he was calling this operation yet.

"Well, sort of," He added and Emma felt as the entire roomed sighed. Nothing would ever be simple with them, would it? "The house is locked with magic and the sheriff has the key."

"Your evil twin is the sheriff?" Killian said, more of a statement than a question as he looked to David. "Hades has panache, I'll give him that,"

"Well," David said, leaning onto the countertop with his hands as he surveyed the group before him. "It's time for my brother and me to have an overdue chat."

"Well, you won't be alone," Snow said securing her bow back over her back. "I still owe him a punch in his pretty mouth for kissing me."

"He kissed you?"

"I thought it was you," Snow said and then she was leaving, clutching Emma's hand quickly and kissing her on the cheek before heading out of the door.

"Let's go," David said, clearly agitated as he followed after, stopping to kiss Emma's forehead and give her the soft, reassuring smile she would have killed for growing up. Now it just reminded her of exactly what she'd done to get to this point.

"In the meanwhile, we should all go about our usual business," Liam said, addressing the remainder of the group. Henry seemed interested in what he had to say but Killian was watching his brother speak with a rapt interest, the likes of which Emma was sure she'd never seen from him. "Hades has eyes everywhere. We can't have him finding out what we're up to." Emma hated how right he was.

"Fine plan," Killian chimed in, smiling over at his brother. "Can't wait to see the look on his face when he learns a very valuable lesson." Now Liam was smiling too, looking over his brother like a proud father would after not seeing his son for a long time. "One should never mess with the brothers Jones."

* * *

 

Liam's usual business, as disinteresting at it was, was working at the Underworld edition of the Rabbit Hole pub. It was a dingy place that Liam had never much cared for, with low ceilings crossed with bare wooden beams, a large squared bar taking up the majority of the room and the red painted walls making the room far darker than necessary. Since there were little to no customers on a good day, Liam had decided to waste his time with cleaning the dust off of the hundreds of glasses that were always left milling around.

"Wow, even for the underworld, it is dead in here." A voice said and Liam raised his eyes to catch the man that had just entered, his light hair slicked back and his suit looking noticeably pressed.

"Can I help you with something?" Liam asked, placing his glass back onto the counter and flipping his rag over his shoulder. "If you want a drink, I can make you anything." He said. It was hard to find ways to kill the time and after centuries, Liam had somewhat picked it up as a hobby.

"That's okay, I can help myself," The man said, clicking his fingers once as two glasses appeared before him on the bar, each with ice and a generous amount of liquid at the bottom of it. "This scotch is a few centuries old. I think it's aged quite well. The secret is to store it underground. Here, try some." He said, sliding one of the glasses across the bar toward Liam's hand. He accepted it, taking a small sip. The man hadn't been wrong, that was for sure. The scotch _was_ good, but that didn't stop the man seeming awfully shady as he sat in the dim lit bar. "It's good right? See, I'm not a bad guy." He said and Liam could feel the dread as it settled around him. Whatever this was, it clearly was not a social call. "But here you are trying to stage some kind of – what's the nautical term you keep using?" Everything was beginning to make an awful lot of sense now. "That's right, mutiny."

"So, you found us out," Liam said, placing the scotch back on the bar and pushing it away from him. It obviously wasn't going to kill him, but Liam was fast learning that there were fates worse than death milling around.

"Well, like you said, I've got eyes everywhere," If Hades had meant for his words to be a threat, it was working. Liam had the one person he cared for down here, the last thing he wanted was for Hades to begin threatening him. "But what I don't have, is that storybook."

"And what do you want from me?" Liam asked, cutting to the chase.

"Not much," Hades replied. "I don't even really care about that book except for a few select pages." Liam couldn't help but be interested now. It was instinct. When the enemy came to you asking for help and even offering you a weakness, it was rather hard not to be at least slightly interested. "The ones about me. So, find the book and destroy them,"

"Do it yourself," Liam said harshly. He may be dead, but he still had his pride.

"It's in the sorcerer's mansion," Hades said like he'd like nothing better than to storm the mansion and destroy the entire building by burning it to the ground. "Light magic doesn't agree with me. So, I kind of need you."

"And if I refuse?"

"I'll tell your brother the thing you never could," Hades said and Liam could feel as his blood ran cold. "The reason you're down here."

* * *

 

"Will you stop staring at that door?" Regina said, catching as Emma tilted her head for the fourth time in less than ten minutes. "When your parents walk through it, I promise, I'll tell you," She said before returning to her tea. Call her crazy, but Emma thought Regina looked awfully at home surrounded by the dead.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Emma said, running her fingers across her face. "Maybe I should have gone with them,"

"And gotten yourself imprisoned again?" Regina had a point, a slim point, but a point none the less. That didn't stop Emma from glancing over her shoulder barely twenty seconds later to see if her parents were there. "Will you relax? People are starting to stare at us," She wasn't wrong, but Emma also didn't care. The longer it took to defeat Hades, the more likely it was that Emma would remain in the Underworld until she as nothing more than another part of the furniture. "Remember what Liam said. We need to act casual."

"Yeah," Emma agreed, sitting a little straighter in her seat and toying with the mug of untouched cocoa in her hands. "What do you think of Liam, anyway?" She said as casually as she could manage. Emma needed someone to talk to about this and with Killian worshipping at Liam's altar, Henry being far to young so this drama and her parents tiptoeing around her like she was made of glass, Emma didn't exactly have anyone else. "You don't think he's a little self-righteous, do you?"

"He doesn't like you, does he?" Regina asked, her eyed bugging wide as she placed her teacup back into its saucer.

"He doesn't think I'm good enough for Hook," Emma admitted, not looking at Regina but instead at the already dissolved whip cream on top of her cocoa.

"To be honest, you're too good for Hook," Emma was sure that Regina had meant that as a compliment, but she really wasn't taking it as one. If anything, the more time she spent down here the more sense she found in Liam's words. Everyone was just chasing a ghost that wore her face.

"He's different with Liam," Emma said, trying to turn the subject away from her as much as she could. "It's like he think he walks on water."

"What's going on?" Regina asked and, if Emma didn't know better, she'd say that the woman sounded concerned. But then she had come down to the Underworld to help save her so perhaps there was a part of the queen that cared for Emma. It was a strange thought, but enough that Emma saw no point in keep secrets.

"Liam thinks I should let go and move on," She said honestly, not looking at Regina when she spoke. "He thinks I should let Hook have a future."

"Who cares what Liam thinks," Emma felt a spurt of affection towards the queen at that moment, to hear her slamming Liam. Perhaps she did care after all. "What do you think?" And there it was, the other shoe dropping. Emma's opinion wouldn't be a popular one, she knew, but perhaps it was time to get a more honest and non-bias view point.

"I don't know. I guess I agree."

"Well, that's just you being a martyr," Regina said like she was dismissing a child's theory. It's what Emma imagined Henry went through before the curse broke, with his mother telling him he was crazy and his other one not believing him when he said otherwise. "It's only because you haven't forgiven yourself,"

"And how do you know that?" Emma asked, feeling a little insulted and simultaneously freaked out by the queen's accuracy.

"Though I hate to admit this, Emma," Regina said, her darks eyes peering at over the top of her tea cup. "We're a lot alike." Emma could tell that wasn't something Regina liked to say. "And forgiving yourself is the hardest thing to do. Don't make any big decisions until you've done that." Emma could feel herself shifting in her seat. The decision hadn't been made of course, but Emma had been so sure that passing over and moving on would be what was right. But it was getting really hard to tell what were her ideas of that and what was Liam's voice niggling away at the back of her mind like an unwanted bad memory. "You never know what you might lose."

Emma was saved a reply by Henry barging through the doors to Granny's, the bell dinging above the door to announce him.

"Moms!" he said, eyes wide and excited. If Emma had to guess, they were finally getting somewhere. "Grandma found the key."

* * *

"The mansion is here," Killian said, sounding almost surprised as he made his way up the porch steps. "It would seem old white beard was right." He smiled at Emma then, and smile she recognised all too well from Camelot. It was the soft one that came with an encouraging raise of the eyebrows. It told her that everything was going to be okay, that they were going to win this battle. On a normal day it would have made her smile back just as softly, perhaps even take his hand. But today was anything but normal.

"Do we have the key?" Liam asked, making it far easier for Emma to break their eye contact without any more suspicion that something was wrong.

"We have it," Killian assured. But there's a protection spell on the door. It could be dangerous to open."

"Oh, I suppose I should do the honours," Liam said, stepping like the hero Killian clearly thought him to be. Emma was personally getting irritated by this self-righteous act, but there was nothing she could do about it now. "I have been dead the longest. I'd say I've got the least to lose." That alone ground Emma's gears. If she truly had more to lose than he did, then why was he so adamant that she left it all behind. It seemed that Emma's lie detector wasn't as far off as she'd feared.

"You always were the noble one, weren't you?" Killian said and Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes knowing it would alert him to her annoyance. Regina, however, didn't have that problem and rolled her eyes freely at the two brothers as they made their way into the house. "Wonderful," Killian said as they made their way into the main room, even moving a cobweb aside like a curtain for Emma to step past. Always a gentleman, she mused, but didn't let it show, just shooting him a grateful smile and stepping off again. "I love what they've done with the place."

It looked exactly as it had the last time Emma was in it, but completely different at the same time. The cobwebs hanging like tapestries from the ceilings along with the white sheets over the furniture took away a lot of the mansions grandeur, leaving just a building behind. Hardly a place for Merlin, Emma was sure, but that wasn't something she wanted to think about now.

"We should split up," Liam said, turning to address the group. "Move fast."

"Uh, yeah," Emma agreed, watching the others as they nodded their agreement. "Henry, you've got to stay here,"

"But it was my idea," He argued, already to sulking teen that Emma had been fearing. "I'm not just going to stand here and do nothing,"

"You're not doing nothing," Emma tried to rectify much to Killian's amusement. "You're the lookout." It was a lie if Emma had ever heard one, but she knew that Henry wouldn't try too hard to argue.

"Look out?" Henry echoed, clearly not happy.

"Don't argue with your mother," Regina said and Emma realised just how bizarre their family situation was. She wouldn't trade it for anything though.

"But –"

"Or your mother," and then they were leaving, preparing to cover the rest of the house and find the storybook. Emma knew one thing for sure though, if she did move on, Henry would be in good hands with Regina. She wasn't the woman she once was.

* * *

The search had turned out to be a colossal waste of time by Emma's standards. And judging by the way Killian's jaw was clenching as he looked at the pointless pages, he agreed. Liam had appeared with the book over half an hour ago, a smug smile on his face (much to Emma's annoyance) as he passed it over to Killian to inpect.

"There's no mention of Hades' story anywhere," He annoyed agitatedly, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Emma wanted to comfort him, she really did, but she was running out of things to say without binging up the topic of her own fate. Killian was a smart man, not only did he knew how to ask what was wrong, but he also knew how to twist whatever they were talking about into asking what was wrong. It was infuriating, and far more than she wanted to deal with right now.

"Why am I not surprised," Regina said, looking at the pages herself, her arms crossed over her chest as Robin stood at her elbow.

"Yeah and look," Emma said, her fingers running down the book's centre binding and over the jagged paper left sticking out from it. "There are some pages missing,"

"Back during the first curse I tore my story out of Henry's book so he wouldn't know I was the Evil Queen," Liam seemed to raise an eyebrow at that, clearly not familiar with everyone else's enchanted forest lives, but Emma was too caught up with what could possibly have happened to the book. Surely Hades couldn't have found out already, that was absurd.

"Well, if Hades has done the same, we don't stand a chance of finding it." He wasn't wrong, Emma knew, but vocalising her agreement would only warrant a hope speech from her parents and as much as she loved them, that was the last thing she needed right now.

"What do you think, Liam?" Emma asked, looking up at the older Jones brother who seemed the least frustrated out of everyone by the turn of events. "You found the book, was there any sign that it had been tampered with?"

"No," he said and Emma could hear the alarm bells ringing in her head like she was stood in a church tower. "And until find any, I'll choose to have hope," Regina looked about ready to pull her own hair out or hit Liam with her shoe, or both. But Emma couldn't blame her one bit. "Those pages could have fallen out and still be in this house, and I, for one, won't give up without trying to find them." And like a true captain, Liam turned and left, returing to the search for the pages Emma was sure to be pointless.

"I see what you mean about self-righteous," Regina whispered in Emma's ear as she passed before heading off after Liam on his search, Snow and David following after.

"What's wrong?" Killian asked and Emma mentally slapped herself. She'd been too lost in her own thoughts to even notice everyone else was gone, leaving just Emma and Killian in the library alone. It was the first time they'd properly been alone since Liam had arrived, partially because of the protective older brother, but also because Emma was trying to avoid him quite shamelessly. She wanted to figure out her plans for after Hades' defeat, to know if she was going to move on or not, and being around Killian and his hopeful and loving smile wasn't doing her any favours. Emma needed something that told her it would be better for her to return home with them, and the fact that they would miss her just wasn't enough in her mind. She needed something concrete, something real that made this entire ordeal worthwhile. "Aren't you coming?"

"What?" Emma said, her mind still dancing around miles away from her. "Yeah. Sorry. Let's go," She said and moved to bypass him to join the others. Safety in numbers and all that.

"No, wait," He said, catching the crook of her elbow with his hook. "Just wait." He said and Emma could feel her throat as it began to close, her mouth going dry at the pain in his eyes. "Not until you tell me what's going on." Emma opened her mouth to lie, or at least omit the truth a bit and tell him it was trauma or fear, anything but her actual thoughts. But he already knew her far too well. "besides the obvious, of course," He said and Emma felt her head tilting slightly in question. He chuckled at that, releasing her arm and looking at her properly. "Open book, remember. Love, I know when something's bothering you."

"It's Liam," She said and saw as Killian seemingly took an entire step away from her. To him, this would sound like insanity, but if anyone had ever trusted her with everything, it was Killian. She could really use some of that blind faith right now. "I've had a bad feeling ever since we met and I thought it was just because he didn't like me," Killian raised an eyebrow at this. Clearly, Liam was only vocal about his opinions with her and wore his perfect role model mask in front of everyone else. "I think he's hiding something."

"That's preposterous," Killian said and Emma felt as her hope fizzled and died, drifting to lay at the bottom of her stomach like ashes on the water, just waiting to be swept away. "My brother wouldn't lie."

"Maybe there's stuff about him you don't know," She reasoned, but by the look on Killian's face, he wasn't buying into it. In fact, he was started to look pissed off, something Emma hadn't honestly expected. "Maybe he does know what his unfinished business is,"

"No, you're wrong about him," It felt like a slap and it took Emma a moment to realise that it hadn't, in fact, been one. She even recoiled form him slightly, watching the steely gaze as he shut off the emotions in his eyes. "I know who my brother is. I'm going to help him find those pages." And then he was gone, leaving Emma dumbfounded and alone in the mansion library with only one idea on her mind. She was going to find Liam and she was going to see exactly what it was he'd been hiding. Emma wasn't going to just walk away this time, not unless she had no reason to stay

* * *

Finding Liam hadn't exactly been a challenge. He wasn't in the house and there was only so far he could go before her aroused suspicion from more than just Emma.

"Find anything out here?" She asked, descending the steps from the back of the mansion having spied Liam leant over the wishing well from the window. He didn't jump when he heard her, but being dead there were few things left to be afraid of. For Liam, at least.

"Emma," he greeted a little too nicely, but she could feel the falseness in his voice. "A ship's captain can only be cooped up for so long," He said and her alarm bells were getting ready to ring, she knew it. "I had to come out and get some air," There they were, dinging in her heard like a war siren. He as lying to her, she was sure of it. She just needed to figure out _why._ "What brings you out here?" he asked gesturing to the misty night that had fallen around them. It was eerie, like a graveyard of an old horror film, thick fog covering the floor and everything.

"I wanted to show you this," Emma said, reaching around her neck for the chain Killian had placed there just the day before, pulling it up and over her head so the ring fell into her palm.

"Oh, it's the ring I gave Killian," he said with a smile, but Emma could head the bitterness to his voice and didn't miss the sharpness of his gaze when it flicked to her face. " I noticed he wasn't wearing it." Emma half wanted to scream at him. Two hundred years, that's how long Killian had been without his big brother, and yet here he was, acting as thought they'd only been parted a week. It was infuriating. The Killian Emma knew, the one she'd fallen in love with, was not the same Killian that this man had left behind, but no one else seemed to see that but her.

"Because he gave it to me, twice now." she said, ignoring the almost childishly insulted look that crossed his face. "Do you know what he said to me when he did?" She asked, stilling holding the ring out so that he could see it. "That it belonged to a much better man than him." Liam's back seemed to straighten even more at that, a smug little smile crossing his lips. "You're his hero. He doesn't think you can do any wrong. Which is why I can't figure out why you would lie to him." Liam's face fell at that, any smugness leaving his expression as he looked at Emma. He looked ready to give her a piece of his mind like he had that previous morning, but he was saved the trouble by Killian's voice sounding behind them.

"Liam, Emma, what's going on?" He asked, descending the stairs from the back porch of the house to stand with them beside the well.

"She thinks I lied to you," Liam said and Emma was surprised by his bluntness, especialy when she didn't just think it, she knew it. Now all she had to do was prove that to Killian and then – what? What exactly was her plan of action? Show him how his lifetime hero was a fraud before turning and leaving to move on without him? That was a stupid plan and she knew it. But if he could believe her, if he could see how Liam had been wrong and just trust her, then perhaps Liam's words wouldn't mean as much, perhaps it would prove that she had Killian's bets interest at heart and moving on wouldn't seem like as much of a good idea as it did now.

"He took the pages, I can prove it," Emma said, hoping that Killian had someone of that blind faith stored away. "Ask him to show you his hands. He's been hiding the, since I got here,"

"Look," Liam intergected,"if it would help clear things up, I would be happy to,"

"That won't be necessary. I don't need proof to see what's really going on here," Killian said, but Emma could tell from the look in his eyes that the irritation in his voice wasn't directed at Liam at all. It was directed at her. "Emma, when are you going to admit this isn't really about my brother?"

"What else would it be about?" She asked casually, trying not to sound betrayed by his allegiance, not that she was at all surprised by it.

"Us." He said and Emma could feel her heart as it began to sink. "You don't want to be saved." He stated and despite it being true, it still wasn't an easy pill to swallow. "And you think that if you can prove to me that Liam is a villain that I'll somehow feel like I was less of one." He was upset, Emma could tell, and not the angry upset that led to him raising his voice or reaching for his flask. He was miserably upset, his eyes even watering with the strain of it. The worst part, though, was that not all of his anger was for Emma. Regina was right about one thing, Emma did need to forgive herself, but so did Hook. "And then you don't think I'll try so hard to save you. You think that my being down here is bout redemption for myself."

"So you agree with him?" Emma said, her voice a lot smaller than she would have liked in this instance. If Killian's words had told her anything, it was that she was turning into an incredibly lost cause. You can't save someone who doesn't want saving. "That you should never have come down here?" the answer wouldn't be pleasant to hear, but somehow, she needed it to be said aloud, no more saddened glances. Now it was time for the truth.

"How can I possibly save you if you won't let me." He argued and Emma could see his frustration in his clenched fists and the twitching of his jaw. All the while, Liam stood like a ghost, watching the event unfold before him like a row of dominoes he'd set up to fall. It wasn't malicious, it as just how it was supposed to be. "Perhaps you feel I'm making the same mistake as you did in Camelot. And maybe you're right, maybe I should have let you go."

"So what are you saying?" Emma asked, already feeling as the tears marked her cheeks, but she didn't stop them. There really wasn't any need to anymore.

"I'm saying that when we defeat Hades, I shan't force you to take my heart. Moving onto a better place is what you deserve and I won't be the one to stand in your way." He said, but he wasn't looking at her, looking instead over her shoulder, or at his own feet, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm doing what you couldn't," He said, his voice thick before he finally raised his gaze to look at her properly. "I'm giving you the choice." It felt an awful lot like she'd ust had the carpet pulled form under her and was currently falling a great deal of a distance and was hurtling towards he ground with no idea when she'd hit it. It was tortuous, to say the least.

"I have been battling with myself all day about what I should choose," Emma said, back her voice thick from tears and her words harsher than she'd intended. "I've been trying to figure out if it would be better for everyone if I just moved on, stopped you al form chasing a ghost. All I've been waiting for is a _solid_ reason for me to stay," She said, thinking of how everyone would be devastated should she leave, but they'd get over it as well. Her official death would be a blow to everyone, her family and friends, but they wouldn't be alone in it. They'd would look after one another and they would heal, just as she did when Neal died or when Mary-Margret's family had died all those years ago. Pain was terrible and grief was awful, but they were necessary. Emma was certain that her family was strong enough to survive that far better than she could survive the crippling guilt of her actions. "I thought, out of everyone, you'd be the one to give that to me." Her voice was softer than, lost in the fog as Killian's eyes began to water themselves, a tear ready to fall at any moment. She couldn't tell if he regretted his words, but she also didn't care. Emma may not have forgiven herself, but she was still making this decision against Regina's advice. "Fine, if this was a mistake to you then don't worry. I'll say my goodbyes to Henry and my family and I'll move on. I won't be a burden on your future." And without another word, she let, walking past him and out into the darkness of the Underworld.

"Emma!" He called after her, his own voice breaking. Killian was already regretting giving her the choice and suddenly her actions in Camelot were making a lot more sense as he moved to follow her.

"Let her go, Killian," Liam said, holding out an arm to stop him in his pursuit. "It's for the best."

"Your hand," Killian breathed, noticing the dark splotches on his brother's pale skin. "You are hiding something,"

"It's nothing," Liam argued, but the realisation was settling in and Killian's gut was churning horribly at the thought of it. Before Liam could avoid him, Killian snatched a hold of his arm with his hand, holding it closer to the light so he could see it clearer.

"Ink from the pages," Killian said as his heart cried out for Emma and for him to fix his mistake, "Emma was right," He breathed, feeling the crushing weight on his chest at the thought of her leaving with his harsh words in her mind. "And now I might lose her forever. Why would you lie to me?" Killian shouted, his grief making room for anger as his eyes narrowed on his brother who looked anything but innocent.

"Because he's got much bigger secrets than whats in some book," A voice said from the darkness. Killian could barely recognise his own captain as she stepped out from beneath the shadows. "Like the truth about what he did to us."

* * *

After having the bag removed from his head, Killian was able to know exactly where they were. It's not that he hadn't guessed already, the scruffing of dusty rock underfoot, the roaring sound of fire beneath him and somewhere, in the distance, the rush of water too. During his time in the Underworld he'd found himself here far too often. This was the bridge where people went to pass over. Dead people, that was, something that Killian was definitely not. The only hopeful thing about this situation was that Emma wasn't here – not yet, at least. She was somewhere else, but she hadn't moved on. IF he died with that knowledge he could die moderately happy.

"It's time to walk the plank," Silver said and Killian was reminded of his youth, of days listening to this man threaten him and for Liam to step up to stop their being any kind of fight.

"I'll gladly walk it. Just spare Killian," It seemed that some things never changed. Liam was still trying to protect him after all this time, not knowing that Killian as perfectly capable of protecting himself. "Please, he's still living. He had nothing to do with this."

"He should have gone down with the ship, like the rest of us!" Silver called, followed by the chorused agreement from the crew Liam had damned to Davey Jones' locker. "And now, he finally will,"

"I'm sorry, Killian," Liam said, turning to his brother with the sad eye of the disgruntle big brother he remembered so well, the one who was always there to split his rations when Killian was being punished and so not allowed any. The same brother who had thrown away his chance in the navy because his little brother was a good for nothing drunk who'd gambled his silver away. What a mess they were. "All I ever wanted was to be this perfect example for you. To inspire you."

"All you did was raise the bar so high, the only thing I could do was fail!" Killian agued back. Yes, his brother had inspired him and he had always looked up to him, but knowing what he knew now, it was hard to see his brother as a hero, and nothing broke his heart more.

"No more talking!" Silver called out, "Time to face justice, boys!" He shouted and was met by the agreeing cheers from his crew. Killian couldn't help but wonder, if he fell into the fires below would he wake up another resident in this god awful town, or would he skip the purgatory and go straight to hell with his brother by his side?

"Did someone decide to have a party and forget to invite me?" Killian felt his blood heat up considerably at the sound of the voice, the very same one that had mocked him about Emma before throwing her trashed and bloodied leather jacket at his feet. As far as Killian's least favourite people, this man was so close to topping the list. All he'd have to do is surpass the Crocodile, something that may take him some time.

"Lor-lord Hades," Silver said, even going so far as to bow before him. He may be a god, but Killian hardly thought he deserved such credit. Even Killian thought it was a little uncalled for when Hades blew a gentle breeze that sent Captain Silver plummeting into the fiery pit below.

"And now for the brothers Jones," Hades said with a cocky smile. "One of them kept up his end of our bargain and gets to live," He said looking at Liam. The reminder that Liam was working with Hade wasn't something Killian wanted reminding of, but something told him there was something else to worry about by the glee in Hades' eyes. "While the other one stole my prized little saviour from my dungeon and continues to make a mess of things, and for that, he has to pay." Killian hadn't exactly expected anything less from the king of hell, especially a Killian had done nothing but be a thorn in his side since he stepped foot off of that boat and into this realm. "At last, we'll see the end of Captain Hook, and this time," He turned to Liam who looked ready to throw himself at Hades "You won't be able to protect him."

"No," Liam said, stepping forward and closer to Hades who seemed less than surprised by the advancement. "I won't let you hurt Killian. No matter what kind of deal we made."

"Fine," Hades said with a smile. "Have it your way," and with a gentle flick of his wrist, Liam was thrown backwards, out towards the fiery pit. Had Killian not half expected a stunt like this after what had happened to Silver, he'd never had caught a hold of Liam's arm as he fell. But Killian wasn't as strong as he used to be, and Liam wasn't exactly the lightest person he knew.

"No! Liam, please, hang on!" Killian called, gripping his brothers arm with as much strength as he could muster, stones jagging him in the stomach as he lay atop the outcrop, dust in his mouth and the fire burning his face.

"I'm sorry, brother," Liam called up and Killian was ready to laugh in his face had the situation not been so dire. Liam was quite literally hanging on for his life and here he was, telling _Killian_ that he was sorry. "Can you forgive me for what I've done?"

"Yes, but that's not important," Killian said without hesitation. He'd expected to journey to the underworld, save Emma and be gone, he'd never thought that he'd have his eyes opened so wide to what was happened to and around him. "You need to find a way to forgive yourself."

"I can't, not after what I did to you," Liam said and Killian's heart was breaking from the familiarity of what was happening. He was going to lose not only the love of his life, but his hero too – his brother, the only family he had left. "The only way to make amends is for me to pay the price."

"No," Killian said as he felt his brothers grip falter and then he was grasping at nothing but air as Liam plummeted towards the fires below, his eyes never leaving Killian's as he free fell to his demise. "No, Liam!"

"No," Killian heard hades mutter as he scrambled back to his feet. If the lord of the Underworld thought he could walk freely away from the damage he'd caused, he was very wrong.

"What's happening?" Killian asked, hearing the gentle sound of waves against a shore as the fiery pit began to fill with water. It was impossible, Killian was sure, and unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"You will pay for this," Hades said before disappearing in a flash of roar blue flame, but Killian was far too distracted by the boat rocking gently on the water to car for the gods theatrics. Standing in the small boat, his eyes as confused as they were awed by the turn of event was Liam, his hands hovering by his sides as though he was trying to keep his balance.

"Liam, you're safe?" Killian said, seeing the bright smile spread across his brother's features.

"Yes," He replied with a bemused chuckle, "It appears I am," He looked at Killian then, his eyes seeking his in the quickly cooling cavern. "I suppose this is a sacrifice I should have made a long time ago. And now I can finally depart." Killian felt a sight pinch at that. Liam was still leaving him even now.

"Then go," Killian said, realising the selfishness of his thoughts. Liam had been dead for centuries, any hope they had of saving Emma was slim, but to save Liam too? The would need nothing short of a miracle. Killian understood that his brother too deserved peace. "All of you," He added, looking to crew that Silver had left behind, the same crew Liam had damned to this place. "Now that you finally have the truth, your unfinished business is complete as well. Get on men," He gestured to the boat Liam was currently stood in, but the men need no persuasion. They piled into the boat beside Liam until only Killian stood on solid ground, his feet itching to follow Liam to the end, as he had once promised.

"What will you do now, brother?" Liam asked having finish greeting the crew and noticing as his brother stood with his fist clenched on the rock

"I can't let Emma move on. Not yet," Killian said, whatever doubts he had of coming to save drifting away like ashes on the water below. "Not when everyone needs her the most. She'd to important."

"Tell her I'm sorry," Liam said and Killian felt the words like a brand. Emma had told the truth, not only about Liam's deceit, but also that his brother hadn't liked her. It was insanity, Killian thought, for anyone not to captivated by Emma Swan, but perhaps he was a tiny bit biased with the situation. "I was wrong. She does have your best interest at heart. Tell her she does deserve saving." Liam said and Killian couldn't fight the smile on his face because of course she did. Emma Swan, the saviour, who had saved the lives of everyone in a cursed kingdom deserved to be saved. "And don't worry about reaching that bar anymore, Killian. You've become a true hero in a way I never could." And then the boat began to depart, the water sloshing gently against the sides but Liam's sea legs held him firm and standing. "Goodbye,"

"Goodbye, brother," Killian said, watching as Liam and his crew sailed off towards the bright light and whatever horizon may lie beyond. At long last, Captain Liam Jones was at peace.

* * *

After watching his brother's departure from this realm, Killian had only one more place he needed to be. He had to find Emma and stop whatever plans she had to leave this realm. She was far too precious for them to lose, even if she didn't think so himself. He'd not expeted for her to be diffiuclt to find, but he'd hardly expected to see her waiting for him when he entered the now empty sorcerer's mansion, either.

"Hook," She said, jumping u from where she'd sat perched on the edge of a sheet covered sofa arm. Where have you been? First you and Liam left, then Henry ran off somewhere –" Her words died with an _offt_ and Killian wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her as close to his body as he could manage without causing her some kind of pain.

"You're still here," He breathed into her hair and he felt her arms circling his back as she rested her head against his shoulder with a sigh. "You've not moved on." He didn't care that she may still be uncertain of her future, he didn't care that he'd almost lost her, he didn't even care that his heart was beating out a samba against his rib cage while hers remained motionless. All he cared about in that instant was that she was still there, she hadn't left him and he still had the chance to help her. "You were right about Liam," He said, pulling away from her, but refusing to let her go. "He destroyed those pages because of a deal he made with Hades years ago. A deal that almost got him thrown into that boiling sea."

"Are you okay? Where is he?" Emma asked, eyes full of concern and Killian's heart truly went out to her. Liam had been nothing close to welcoming when it came to Emma, and yet (even if it was only for his own benefit) she was still concerned for him. Emma Swan was, and always would be, a marvel to Killian Jones, and he'd never forgive himself for nearly letting her slip away.

"He sacrificed himself," He replied and saw how Emma's eyes widened at the words. She knew then that Liam was gone and could only imagine what torture that had done to Killian. "But his sacrifice saved a crew we once sailed with. They finally moved on thanks to him."

"And did he move on too?" Emma asked gently, even pulling herself away from his slightly in case he needed any space. Space from her was the last thing he wanted, especially now.

"He did." Killian said and he could see the sympathy in Emma's eyes. "But he helped me to see the truth before he went," now he'd certainly peaked her interest. "I won't give up trying to save you, Emma. You're far too important. We all need you. _I_ need you."

"So, what are you saying?" She asked but Killian could see the smile tilting at the corner of her mouth. This was all she'd needed all this time, to know that she was loved and needed for something more than just a redemption. She was a saviour and to no one more than him.

"That the choice is still yours, I won't force you," he said gently, his hand seeking hers out while he looked nowhere but her face. "But know that my heart is yours, Emma, whether you take it or not. Everything Liam did was to ensure I had a future, and I won't have one without you." And with a gentle tug on her hand, he pulled her close, their chests colliding as their mouths met in an achingly needed kiss. Her mouth was as soft as he remembered, even if her skin was cold, and even if her heart was no longer beating, Killian knew that his own could beat hard enough and strong enough for the both of them. And then she uttered the words he'd been desperate to hear against his lips, breaking his face into a smile as their foreheads pressed against each other.

"Let's go home."


	5. Firebird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't proofed this very well at all, I'll warn you  
> I was so behind on updating that I finished it as soon as I could and just skimmed. If there are ay volunteers for a proof reader, I'm hardly going to say no - anyone? 
> 
> I've skipped a few episodes here as well and gone straight to the heart-breaking stuff.   
> Let me know what you think.

_"Yet I feel my heart is aching,_

_Though it doesn't beat, it's breaking_

_I know that I am dead,_

_Yet it seems that I still have a tear to shed."_

_\- Corpse Bride_

* * *

 

"You told her what?" Emma asked, astounded by the new Regina standing before her. A lot had changed since Liam had passed over and not all of it made a hell of a lot of sense to Emma. Both Zelena and Belle had found themselves in the Underworld, Robin and Zelena's baby in tow only to find that the wicked witch had some history with the king of hell. Ruby – or Red, and Emma had to keep reminding herself, even now – had fallen into this world too, soemthing Emma had seen in a dream. The werewolf had been looking for someone, a woman called Dorothy and seemed willing to risk about everything she had to find her. Emma could understand that, at least. And then, she'd left to find her in Oz. It had taken a lot of work and tears but Emma had managed to make it possible for Mary-Margret – or Snow, as she now wanted to be called – to go too. Emma had been given the power to place the names on the tombstons that trapped her family in the Underworld. Sure, she couldn't erase them as she had tried quite a few times, but she had found it was possible for her to change them. And so, her father's name had replaced her mother's allow her to go home, to take care of the rest of the Nolan family with the promise that they'd see her soon – all of them.  

"To give him a chance," Regina said, sounding at least a little ashamed of her actions, something Emma assumed wouldn't be lasting long.  

"And you thought this was a good idea, because?" David asked. Ever since Mary-Margret had gone home with Ruby, DAvid had been nothing short of snxious to get back to her, desperate even. He seemed more aake than Emma had seen him in the Underworld and he was ready to give anything just to get back home and be with his family. Emma could relate. 

"Because we're family," Regina said. Another interesting development Emma had been working to get her head around. Yes, Regina and Zelena were sisters, that had been known for some time. But now, after a bizare intervention from Cora, the two women knew that they had indeed, loved one another once upon a time, and so with their memories intact once more, the sisters were reunited the way they should have been. "And I'm trying to trust Zelena." That wasn't a pill that the rest of their group was finding very easy to swallow. "She thinks she can change Hades."  

"I'm sorry, love," Killian butted in, his hand still holding Emma's as it had been constantly since shed agreeed to come home with him, to give life another chance. She could hardly say she minded, she was finding herself in need more and more of the reassurance that he was here – that all of them were – and that they were going to save her. After everything, there was always a tiny shred of doubt that told her this was a trick, that she was still in that dungeon where Killian had found her, and any second shed be plunged into the river of lost souls and be lost forever. "I missed the part where Zelena had changed." 

"You'd think the ex-pirate with a rum habit would cut my sister some slack," Regia bit back. F someone had told Emma a month ago that she'd be witnessing an argument with Regina protecting Zelena, she'd assumed they were mad. But then again, a month ago, Emma didn't think she'd be dead either. Life was just full of surprises for the saviour.  

"Well, you'd think the evil queen would be smarter than to send the wicked witch to romance the most devious man alive."  

"Easy, guys," Emma said, placing a hand on Hook's chest to halt him, while also levelling Regina with the most reasoning look she could mange. The last thing they needed as to fight amongst themselves. "We're not going to win the war against Hades if we use all of our ammo on each other." She felt the tension in Hook's body deplete as her words sunk in and she allowed herelf a quick sigh of releif. They knew their enemy, and they knew it would take all of them together to defeat him.  

"Your dead Saviour has a point," and then, as Emma's blood began to freeze in her already lifeless veins, she felt the tension return to Hook's body as Hades began to appear through the fog to stand before them in the street. 

 "What the hell are you doing here?" Hook asked, his arm moving from Emma's lower back to in front of her, pushing gently against her abdomen so that she stood further behind him. She didn't argue, her limbs already beginning to tense as her muscles remembered what days – perhaps weeks – of torture felt like. Emma prided herself in not being scared of people, but Hades wasn't a person and she found her self close to trembling at the sound of his voice.  

"Get behind me, Kid," She said, reaching for Henry's arm and pulling her surprisingly responsive son to stand behind her.  

"Oh, I didn't find you to hurt you," Hades said, halting his steps, even holding his hands up in mock surrender. Judging by the tension in Hook's arm, she could tell that he, for one, wasn't believing anything that may come out of this so called God's mouth. "I came for," he sighed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "Wow, this is hard. Help." 

"What could you possibly want our help with?" David stepped forward, placing himself beside Hook, almost blocking Emma from view, but not completely.  

"Simple," Hades said, reaching into his jacket pocket. "I went to meet Zelena for our date and found this," He finished, holding out the thing piece of parchment. Emma wasn’t sure who he'd intended to rad it, but it was Regina who snatched it from the God's hands.  

"Zelena," Emma said, reading the parchment Regina's shoulder before being passed it. "She's been kidnapped by Pan." Even without looking at her, Emma could tell that Regina would be rolling her eyes. It seemed that Gold was back on speaking terms with his father and was working with the so-called demon for undoubtedly his own ends. 

"They're asking for a meeting tomorrow morning."  

"Gold wants you to tear up the contract for his unborn child," If there was one thing about this whole fairy-tale fiasco Emma had found herself a part of, it was the obsession with owning and selling new-borns. She was hardly a paragon of virtue herself, but even she knew that was a moral red flag.  

"So, do it," Regina half spat, her hands clenched at her sides.  It was strange. Emma was still trying to get to grips with their new found family bond between the two sisters. Sure, she'd never had a family growing up, or any siblings as such, but even she thought it should take a little more than a few restored memories and an absentee mother's word for everything to be forgiven between the two. Then again, the Evil Queen had just as much to be forgiven for as the Wicked Witch. Perhaps Emma should be giving the woman a chance. "I just got my sister back. I'm not going to lose her now." 

"Neither will I," Hade said. "I'll give them hat they want, but I know the Stiltskins and their tricks. They're not gonna keep their word." He said and Emma could feel the collective agreement as it mignle in the air with the anticipation of just what is was Hades was asking for. "Not unless I've got an ace up my sleeve." 

"Luckily for you," Regina said, stepping forward as volunteer. Emma would congratulate her boldness if not for the almost amused look Hades was sending her way. "You've got one."  

"I'm sorry," Hades said, tunring to Regina. "You've been Zelena's sister for all of, what three hours?" He asked and Emma could tell by the tightening of Regina' jaw that she didn't like anything about the lord of the underworlds tone. If Emma knew Regina, she was simply infuriated that Hades did indeed have a point. "No."  

"Who's going to be more motivated than me?" Regina asked, abashed that she was being refused. It was obviously something that the Mayor was still not used to. 

"Emma," Hade said and she could feel as the redundant breath caught in her throat.  

"What?" She breathed out, feeling as Hook's arm tightened once more against her stomach, holding her back while Henry's hand gripped hers tightly beside her. "Why?"  

"If Zelena makes it out of this alive, I'm prepared to offer you a deal."  

"Don't trust a word he says, Emma," Killian said, his eyes narrowing at Hades, the hatred in his gaze like nothing had Emma seen before. Well, not exactly true. She'd seen it once, maybe twice before, when Hook had staggered to his feet after being hit by that car. It was a look of hatred born from hopeless pain. The kind of pain that could not be prevented or overcome because you were not the recipient. It was what happened when you lost – or almost lost – the person you loved and could do nothing to stop it. It was heart breaking to see Killian look that way again.  

"Now I agree with the pirate," Regina piped in, but whether it was because she feared for Emma's safety as Hook did, or because she wanted to be the one to save her sister, Emma wasn't sure. She'd like to believe after everything it was the former.  

"You and I both know that your family wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Hades reasoned and Emma felt as her heart sank. She may have decided to allow herself to be saved, but that didn't mean that she felt for one moment that she was entirely deserving of it. Everything that had happened had been her fault, ever since she'd allowed herself to become the Dark One. "If you help me save her, I'll take everyone's names off their headstones."  

"So, we can leave the Underworld?" She asked, torn between disbelief and trepidation. All she'd wanted since her family had rescused her was to see them home safe. Her mother had made it and was currently waiting at home with Emma's brother. Now all that was left was to get everyone else back home too.  

"So, what do you say, Saviour? Do you want to send your family home or not." If there was one thing Emma had learnt from a childhod in the foster system, it was that if something seemed too good to be true, it usually was. Now, all that was left for her to do was wait for the other shoe to drop – but until then, she was willing to d just about anything to get her family home safe.  

* * *

Saving Zelena had proven to be a simple enough task. Emma went around the abck of Granny's and broke in through the back door while Hades handled the negotiation in the main diner. It all went as smoothly as could be hoped, far more so, in fact, than Emma had expected. Hades had indeed torn up the contract and Zelena had been saved from Pan almost tearing out her heart, a moment that struck Emma with far more familiarity to her time in Neverland than she was comfortable with. And now, as Emma had demanded, Hades was ready to fulfil his end of the bargain. 

"How'd it get here?" David asked, looking at the dismembered clock tower as it lay imbedded in the ground at the cemetery where Emma's ghostly figure had once appeared, bloodied and broken. That was not an image Killian thought would be leaving his mind any time soon.  

"That hands are moving," Emma observed. "is that a good sign or a bad one," Killian could feel her scepticism, and knew he couldn’t blame her for it, but there was a part of him that jut wished he could hear the hope once more in her voice.  

"It's a great one if you want to leave," Hades said and Killian felt as Emma's hands gripped hers even tighter at the sound of his voice. He didn't know exactly what the man had done to her in the dungeon, what tricks he'd played or venomous words he'd spoken, but he knew the effect it had left on his Swan. Effects that seemed far more than just the physical. Emma was afraid of this man, and as much as she tried to hide that, Killian could read her life the open book she was. "When those hands spin fast enough in about an hour, it'll turn into an open portal back."  

"Which we can't go through because of those," Regina said, gesturing to the line of graves, each engraved with their names, trapping them in the god forsaken realm of red skies and smoke. A realm Emma was finding herself far too acquainted with. "So, let's get on with it."  

"Gladly," Hades replied, waving his hand once over the stones before the names fell off like dust, the stones themselves disappearing into nothingness. "There, as promised. You're no longer tied tot his realm."  

"I told you love could change him." But Killian could still feel the doubt at the back of his mind. They were standing before their escape, nothing tying them to this realm and all that was standing between them and freedom was him putting his heart into Emma' chest. It all seemed far to easy, and he could tell that Emma was feeling the exact same way.  

"I don’t buy it," He said, levelling the pale faced man with a warning glare. "A man can't change that quickly."  

"We're free to go through when it opens," Emma said, her hand pressing against his chest, a welcome reminder that she was, in fact, still there. "If you really want to do this, then I'll be going with you." 

"Aye, Love," he said, smiling down at her reassuringly. "Whenever you're ready your Majesty," He said, angling his body towards Regina to give her a clear shot at his heart. No matter how many times Killian had gone through this same routine, it had never gotten any easier. And now, with his heart about to be torn in half, his mind could barely comprehend the agony. But he knew, if it got Emma home, where she belongs with her family, then he'd shred his heart into a thousand tiny pieces over and over. And he knew it. But the second Regina's hand plunged into his chest, pulling his heart free, Killian knew something was wrong. He'd been through it enough to know that the tearing in his chest was meant to be temporary, and as Regina split the heart in two, moving to shove one half of the black-splattered mess, he felt his legs buckling beneath him.  

"Hook?" David asked, moving to his side as the pirate gasped like a man lost at sea, his hand grabbing at the space of his shirt where his heart shout be beating. 

"Killian?" Emma exclaimed, dropping to her knees before him, her cold hands resting against his face as she forced him to look at her. He could see his own panic mirrored in her eyes at the horror of the situation. And then, as quickly as it had begun, it was over. He felt his body shudder as he jolted forward into Emma's arms, Regina's hand pulling itself out of his back as his heart was replaced in his chest. "Why didn't it work?" Emma asked, looking to Hades with a hopelessness in her voce that made Killian's fist clench in the grass. If it wasn't for Emma's hand stroking the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck like he was some kind of cat, he'd had gone after the Lord of the Underworld himself.  

"I told you we couldn't trust him," Killian gasped slightly, his breath returning to his lungs with sharp stabs, like breathing in the sea breeze on an ocean surrounded by ice. It was painful, but welcome.  

"That wasn't me," Hades said, but Killian wasn't listening. This had been their plan – and their only plan – to save Emma. Without it, he was beginning to fear that hope truly was lost. But he knew, if it came down to it, he'd gladly rot in the Underworld beside her. "I'm afraid there are laws of nature beyond even my control."  

"No, it should work," David said, helping Emma to get Killian back to standing, his hand a gentle pressure at the pirate's shoulder. "I died. My wife's heart brought me back."  

"How long were you dead?" Hades asked as though it was the most everyday conversation, like something old friends would chat about over tea and biscuits. Perhaps, in the underworld, that was common place. But Killian was becoming far too accustomed with death for his own liking and not just his own, but of the people he loved too.  

"A minute, maybe less." Regina piped in.  

"Ah, I didn’t think I recalled you entering this realm," Hades said with mild appreciation. "Your soul never left your body. That's why it worked for you."  

"I've been down here too long," Emma voiced their thoughts, each of them sharing downcast, solemn looks as the truth set in. They'd been too late, after all this effort, all the hope speeches and assurances, they might have lost the final battle after all. 

"And your body is rotting away up there." Killian didn't want to thin about that, he refused to imagine her aid in the earth like how a dog buries a bone. The only burials he had known had been at sea. They had been beautiful and closing, everything he needed for his Swan. "Even if your should could return to it, I doubt either of you could stand the smell." Hades jokes did nothing to quell Killian's already over bearing frustration, the bubbling in his stomach that he held onto from fear that if he truly let the pain in, that he'd never be able to let it go. Losing Milah had broken him, but then he'd had something to cling to – his revenge against the man who killed her. But with Emma's death he'd clung to the hope that he could bring her back. Without that, he thought the loss might just destroy him completely. And then Emma said the one thing that threatened to shatter Killian completely.  

"You have to go without me." Emma, once again, said what they were all thinking but refusing to admit. They were still alive. They could make it through the portal with no harm done. Emma, well, there was no telling what would happen to her should she try and passed through.  

"No," Hook said, shaking his head free of any and all thoughts of this ending without Emma coming home. It wasn't possible, he wouldn’t let it be. "There has to be another way." 

"Please, Killian," Emma said, her hand still gripping his jacket. He looked down at her and immediately wished that he hadn't. She was smiling up at him with the same sad smile she'd used so many times before. The kind that tried to tell the world that everything was fine and that it was all going to be okay, but it was forced. Killian saw straight through it to the pain in her no longer beating heart. Emma was afraid. After finally finding he rplace in the world – of finding her fmaily – she was going to be alone, trapped in this world, waiting on the wrong side of a one way door with nothing but time and misery on her side. "Get Henry back home." 

"You mean to say no one has gone to the Underworld and brought someone back?" Killian said, tearing his eyes from her pale face to look instead at Hades. He may not trust the man, but if anyone knew of another way to save Emma, it would be him. And going by the shift in his eyes and the tiny movement of his feet, Killian knew that he did. "They have? Who? Who did?" He pressed, going so far as to step towards Hades, Emma's hand dropping from his jacket as she released a pained sigh that Killian was sure only he heard as the others had tuned their ears to hear nothing but Hades' explanation. "How?" 

"It was a long time ago," Hades said, prompted by Zelena's encouraging nod. If Killian had to bet, Hades didn't want this little story shared. "It was a rumour, there's no proof it actually worked." 

"Tell me everything," Killian all but growled.  

"Orpheus and Eurydice," Hades began said before snapping his fingers, a leather bound book falling into his waiting hands. It was open to reveal the pages of the story for every one to see.  

"I know this myth," He said to no one's surprise, reaching out to take the book from Hades. Henry was a walking encyclopaedia of stories, it would be astounding if he didn't recognise the myth. "She died and he followed her to the Underworld to get her back,"  

"Sounds familiar," Regina chimed in, even rolling her eyes. Hook wanted to reply, to shoot back a sharp tongued remark that wiped the condescending look off of the Queen's face, but he didn't. He clenched his jaw and did his best to blot her out, focusing instead of what Hades had to say.  

"These are the only two souls who ever escaped my realm."  

"How?" David asked, his shoulders set with the familiar stance of the prince he was ready to embark on yet another quest. He'd seen it the day Emma had died, when they'd stood by the lakeside awaiting the boat to the Underworld. "I thought you said that broke the laws of nature?"  

"Orpheus helped Eurydice escape by feeding her ambrosia," Hades said and was met by nothing but vacant stares from the heroes. "The food of the gods."  

"And where exactly do you get some of that?" Regina asked, seemingly already fed-up with the question and answer section of their quest.  "cause,  I don't recall seeing it on the menu at the Blind Witches'." 

"I'll show you," Hades said, some-what reluctantly. "Meet me at the library. You may want to collect whatever personal items you brought down here with you," And then he was gone in a swirl of blue smoke, and Zelena with him.  

"Anyone else having doubts?" Regina asked, but no one answered. Honestly, they didn't need to.  

* * *

 

"Dad?" Emma called out as she stepped through the front door of the Underworld loft. The room was still mostly destroyed from the hell hounds attack that she'd been told about a great deal by Henry, but it was the safest place that the heroes had found.  

"Emma?" He answered from up the steps of what was, In Storybrooke at least, her bedroom. "I thought we were meeting at the Library, is something wrong?" He asked, appearing fully at the top of the steps, something dark and not quite recognisable held in his hands 

"No, nothing," Emma said, her mind still not used to the loft she'd become to see as home hidden beneath white sheet and cobwebs. "I just wanted to talk to you, before this all started."  

"What is it?" David asked, reaching the bottom of the steps where his daughter stood, his face as lined with worry as it had been the day he'd set off for in this world. But his eye's were brighter, Emma had noticed. Since she'd been rescued from Hades clutches, shed noticed the life slowly beginning to grow in both of her parents eyes and it broke her heart to think she was about to quash that light once more.  

"I'm not sure about Hades plan," She said honestly, knowing that the man was prone to tricks and probably didn't take kindly to souls escaping his clutches. "And if all goes south then I want –" But she broke off, her head tiltig slighty to the side as the recognition finally set in. "Is that my –" 

"Yeah," David said, holding up what was left of the red material Emma had been wearing for the past however many years. "Snow wouldn't let it out of her sight." He said, his thumb rubbing against the familiar red leather as though there was no blood, no tears or any kind of damage. It was just a jacket, a memory of the daughter he had come here to save. "It's a bit worse for wear," He said with a laugh, one Emma felt herself smiling along with. "But I thought you might like it back," 

"Perhaps Regina can fix it up," She said, accepting the ruins of the jacket from her fathers hands like it was made of glass. "When I bought this jacket," She began, letting her fingers brush against the fraying edges and wondering if such a distraught piece of clothing would make a god keep sake of her, something for her family to remember her by. Or perhaps she was getting ahead of herself with morbidity. There was no saying that Hades plan was a trap, but Emma was learning not to hope for too much in this world. "It was meant to be armour. To protect me from getting hurt by those I love," She could almost _feel_ her fathers sad eyes as he looked at his daughter, of what had been left behind after facing both the Darkness and death. She could imagine it wasn't a flattering sight. "Now, its just a reminder that I have to protect the people I love. No matter what."  

"Of course," David said, his hands reaching out to hold her shoulders, his face kinds as he smiled at her with a softness she'd have just about killed for as a child. To think, in a few hours this could be her life again, being welcomed into the arms of her father like he'd never been gone. Or, alternatively, she could be alone, like the lost little girl she was. "That's what family does. We protect each other."  

"That portal is your only chance out of here." Emma began, trying to speak through the tearing feeling in her chest, like her own rib cages was being prised apart for her doubt and worry to claw its way out of her chest. "The only way you'll see mom and Neal again," 

"The only way _we'll_ see your mother and Neal again," David pressed, smiling in the hopeful way that Emma wished could make her feel better. If anything, it made the dread of what was to come so much heavier on her already broken soul.  

"If this doesn't work," Emma began fighting the trembling of her lip as she spoke, "Promise me you'll leave and go home to them."  

"Emma – " David warned, but she persevered. Emma Swan was nothing if not stubborn.  

"Please, look after our family,"  

"Of course, you know I will," He said before pulling her to him, her head colliding slightly with his collar bone and his arms held her tight, one of his hands supporting the back of her head in such a paternal way it made her _ache_.  

"I love you, Dad," She said, letting the tears fall only when he couldn’t see them, burying her head against his shoulder to stop them from rolling down her face. If her father saw her cry, then he'd know that slowly and surely Emma Swan was loosing hope. And if he knew that, he'd do everything to bring it back, even if that meant risking everything to save her once again. Emma wasn't about to let that happen. As much as she hated to admit it, practicality was beginning to win out against the hope in her heart and this hug might well be her final goodbye to the father she'd been dreaming about since she was a little girl. Perhaps she did still need that armour after all.  

* * *

"An elevator?" Emma asked as the blue smoke cleared revealing the familiar rickety, metal contraption that had once led her to a dragons lair. Needless to say it wasn't making her feel any more hopeful about their little endeavour. "But I'm the Saviour. I've got magic," She said, not quite grasping the necessity of the device. She'd 'poofed' herself places before, it could hardly hurt to do so again.  

"A dead saviour," Hades said bluntly, as though the absence of her own beating heart wasn't enough to remind her of that fact. "And I'm the lord of the Underworld. That should tell you something." Emma felt her fingers tighten around Killian's Hook and was grateful that he couldn't feel the tension lodged into every nerve ending as she fought the urge to roll her eyes. It wouldn’t surprised her if she was the only one of their little group who didn't underestimate the lord of the Underworld, and just what he would do to those who disrespected him. It was like Killian had said, no man changes that quickly. "The ambrosia, it's powerful. And like a petty, spoiled child it want's all the power for itself. Everything is shut down below." That explained it, Emma supposed. "There's no hopping in and out in a puff of smoke. This is the only way, and once you're down there, you're on your own."  

"And then what?" Emma asked, knowing better now than to walk ignorantly into such situations that could quite easily lead to death – or more so, in her case. "We're knee-deep in a field of ambrosia? It can't be that easy."  

"I'm not really sure," Hades said and Emma felt her already empty chest hollow even more. They were depending on Hades knowledge of this to work, without it, there was no telling what they could face. The three headed dog had been one thing, and that was only guarding her. Emma could hardly imagine what might be guarding the food of the gods. "Even I've never ventured that far down."  

"So, we're going to the one place in hell where even the devil is afraid to go?" Killian asked with his usual snark and Emma couldn't had voiced her doubts any better herself." 

"Not Hell," Zelena stepped up, standing beside Hades. "and not the devil." 

"And not because I'm afraid," Hades finished, but Emma was beginning to doubt Hades truth in any of this plan. In fact, she'd doubted it the second that Killian's heart split had failed to work in the graveyard. She knew it would take a miracle to get her out of the Underworld alive, and they'd been running awfully low on those recently. "There's a test to ensure that only those who are worthy of eating ambrosia can reach it." If Emma had been dreading this plan before, she certainly was now. "One that will require you t offer up your dear pirates heart for judgement." Going by the fall of his face, Killian wasn’t liking this plan anymore than she did. It begged the question of if Killian was doing this because he was desperate to save her, or to humour her and her family's wishes. But the way he'd set his jaw, Emma was going to guess the former.  

"Without my magic how am I supposed to take his – "  

"You're not," Hades cut her off and before anyone could lift a finger to stop him, Hades hand had plunged deep into Killian's chest, drawing out his glowing heart without so much as blinking. "My gift to you," He said with a smug grin, slipping the heart into a small velvet punch before passing it to Emma's already waiting hands. "Take good care of it." Emma was about ready to put it back in Killian's chest where it belonged, especially after the fiasco at the portal. But Killian recovered quickly, his breath hissing through his teeth as she rolled his shoulders.   

"Let's make this the last time we do that today," He said with a small, sarcastic smile, one Hades was more than happy to return.  

"Just trying to help," He said smugly and Emma didn't blame Killian's clenched fists at the mans arrogance.  

"So, failing this test has, what, fatal consequences?" Emma asked, feeling the weight of Killian's heart in her hands for not the first time. It felt so wrong to hold, to feel it pulsing against her palm like it's own living entity. Even now, after everything she'd seen and done, magic still had its ways to surprise her.  

"One would think," Hades said unhelpfully, leaving Emma to rethink this entire plan, and not for the first time, etiher.  

"You don't have to do this, Killian," Emma said, holding out the pouch holding his heart for him to take. He didn’t, simply pushing her hands away from him, a soft, trusting smile gracing his anxious features.  

"And you didn't have to sacrifice yourself for my mistakes." He countered, leaving her a little lost for words. She wanted to admit that it had ben her mistake that had caused al of this in the first place, but thought better of it. "I told you I'd never stop fighting for us. We're going."  

"We'll be right here waiting for you," David assured, not knowing his words simply added to the weight on Emma's shoulders. There was no telling that of the two of them that stepped into this elevator, which one – if any – would step out.  

"Regina," Emma said, turning towards the other woman where she stood beside Henry.  

"I know the drill," she waved off, even rolling her eyes for good measure. "If you're not back by sunset –" 

"Everybody leaves," Emma said, solidifying the request not only into Regina's mind, but into everyone's. The portal was their one way out of this realm an she refused to allow them to miss it, not when they never should have come to save her in the first place. "promise me." 

"You'll be back," Regina said, but for who's benefit, Emma didn’t know. She turned to Henry then, his face laight with the hope Emma only wished she was still capable of. "I love you, Kid," She said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, his slender arms snaking around her waist. She could still remember the first time she had held him like this, back when she was blind to the magic of Storybrooke, and Henry was just a little boy who wanted his mother. He was bigger now, but he still felt like that tiny little boy when she held like this. Like she might never do so again.  

"I love you too, Mom," He said against her chest while Emma reached hand out for her father to take. David dint even hesitate in accepting it, his smile soft and reassuring.  

"Goodbye," She said as she pulled away, leading the way intot eh elevator with Killian, watching as the grill was pulled down before them as they began to sink out of sight. Emma dared not take her eyes off of her family's faces, not knowing if she'd resurface and see them again or if this test would best them.  

* * *

 

 

Navigating the mines hadn't been too difficult for the both of them, mostly due tp that fact that there was only one way to go once the elevator stopped: forward. They walked in silence, not speaking a word, but the quiet was speaking volumes. Killian may have prided himself in reading Emma like and open book, but that was a door that spun both ways, and she could tel exactly what he was thinking. His eyes were set straight when Emma looked at him, his jaw clenched tight like a man on a mission. But the second she looked away, his stance would fatler as though he'd been waiting for her to look the other way so that he could finally relax, like an exhale of tension. She could see from the corner of her eye as his eyes scanned over her face, as though he was afraid this was the last that he'd see it. Emma couldn't blame him, she was beginning to wonder if that might just be the case with them, that after all this time fighting to be together, this was how they were going to end. Not with a bang, but a whisper in the dark, conquered by the most definite of obstacles.  

Before long, the echoes of their footfalls began to quieten and after moments of darkness, Killian and Emma emerged into a carvern, at the far end of which stood toweering stone doors that Emma guessed led to the ambrosia. All that stood between them and the answers she desperately craved was a single sundial, atop which sat a brass scale, alreadyset and level. 

"What," Emma said, her eyes scanning the engraved text curving the side of the dial. "The instructions couldn't be in English," She joked, trying to lighten the tension that sat upon their shoulders like dead weight. Both of them knew that if this was another dead end, then that was it. The hour glass would empty and there would be no redo's. Somehow, Emma felt as though only one of them had truly accepted that as the more reasonable outcome.  

"Only a heart filled with true love can pass," Killian said without hesitation, his finger even trailing along the lettters while Emma looked at him, bewildered.  

"Seriously?" She asked, feeling the smile tilting up the corners of her mouth for the first time in days. It seemed to ease the tautness in Killian's body as he smiled back, the fire in his eyes flickering slightly.  

"You'd be surprised what they teach you in the royal navy." He said and Emma could hear the pride in his voice. She couldn't help but wodner what other skills he had hidden away and then it struck her – she may never know. But she shook those thoughts from her mind as briskly as she could wihtout him noticing the fall of her face. "The only question is, what the bloody hell does it mean?" 

"I think you have to weigh your heart," Emma said delicately, her thumb rubbing over the slightly pulsating pouch in her hands, holding what was quite possibly the most precious object – if that's hat it could be caled – she had ever held. "To see if your love for me is true. What?" She asked, noticing his slightly awed smile despite the doubt cruving his brow.  

"You really think what we share is..." He trailed off, no doubt afraid that if he said the words aloud he would jinx it somehow, or even scare her into running away. Not a likely reaction, she knew, but she couldny hardly blamr him in his doubts. Their relationship had been rocky at best. And then Emma remembered something she'd heard her mother say back before the veil between the truth or magic had been raised – _If true love was easy,_ _we'd all have it._ After everything they'd suffered and the sea of shit they'd swam through to get where they were, Emma supposed they deserved their happy ending, or at the very least, a kind one.  

"I guess we're about to find out," She said, her voice thankfully betraying the doubt that was gnawing away at her lifeless heart. She moved to open the pouch holding Killian's heart, but was stilled by his hand resting atop hers, halting her movements.  

"I know I love you," He said earnestly and Emma could sense the 'but' waiting upon the horizon. "But true love is the rarest magic of all," He reasoned and Emma felt her redundant breath falter. IT was risk, she figured, they were just going to have to take if they stood any semblance of a chance to save her. She wanted to assure him it was true, that what they had was the love that had inspired fairy tales and men had gone to war for, but she couldn’t. Because even now, her chance at life hanging in the balance, Emma still couldn't find it in her to believe it was possible for her to have such a thing. For all she knew this entire life, the one full of magic and lost princesses could be nothing but a fever dream and at any moment she'd wake up, alone in Boston with no son, no Killian and no family, nothing but an ache in her heart for what could have been. Thens he felt the ache for real, not like she would if she was alive, but enough that it made her want to breath heavier, to scream at the top of her lungs and cry until her eyes were dry. But then Killian spoke once more, and she found she didn't need any of that. "Do you really have that much faith in me?"  

"Honestly," She said with a small, sad smile. "I'm not sure if what we have is – you know," She said and he smiled at that, a small one that didn't quite crinkle his eyes right that told her it was for her benefit, not our of humour. God, what she'd do for one of those full, boyish smiles right now – or even a snarky, lopsided smirk, something that told her that he was the same man he was before this happened, and that he'd be the same man after, whatever the outcome maybe. "But who could be? We have to try."  

"Why can you only admit how you feel when one of us is facing certain death?" He joked after a moments silence, and Emma found herself smiling slightly herself.  

"I don't know," She replied honestly, "I guess my armours been on for such a long time that I... sometimes I forget I don't need it with you." He smiled wider at that, his hand tightening where it rested atop hers. All tht time he'd spent trying to break down her walls, something no one had ever really attempted before and he'd made it through, despite everything (Including herself) telling him it was a fruitless attempt. "Here goes," She said with a sharp inhale, slipping her hand from Killian's grip to remove his heart form the pouch before placing it upon the scale. The brass object didn't tip, but the doors didn't open either and the two stood with bated breath, waiting for something – _anything –_ to indicate this journey had been anything but a waste. By the frustrated sigh Emma herd hear leave Killian's lips, she was to guess that they were waiting in vain.  

"It didn’t bloody wo –" Killian began but was cut off by a sudden gasp, his hand reaching to his chest as his legs buckled beneath him, his eyes wide and afraid as he hit the ground.  

"Hook?" Emma asked frantically, her hands grapping the lapels of his jacket in an attempt to hold him upright. "Killian, what's wrong?" She asked, one hand holding his face to force him to look at her, but his eyes were looking over his shoulder, at the dial where his heart still sat.  

"The pedestal," He choked through the gasp, his voice barely above a whisper as the air was sucked from his lungs. "Get my heart," His arm reaching towards the pedestal and Emma caught on, jumping to her feet immediately to grab the heart from the scale. But, no sooner was Emma on her feet, she was engulfed in flames, the fires swriling around her as she screamed out in pain. "Emma," He gasped, faling forward onto his knees. "Emma!" He tried again, louder this time as her fought to move towards her, to save her from th agony she was caught within.  

"Get – your – heart!" Emma managed to bite out through the pain gasps, her eyes clenched tightly shut as though it was all a dream and any moment now she'd make and it would be over. But for Killian, there was no choice to be had.  With all teh strength he still had, he pushed off of the gravelled floor, his body passing painlessly through the flames and knaocking Emma out of the torrent until they crashed against the ground with a _humph._ There wasmoment of distortion as Emma's eyes flew open, flashing momentarily with fire before they returned to normal, and Killian found he could breath again, his fingertips brushing her cheek as he scanned her face for injury.  

"What the bloody hell is that?" He asked as light flooded the cavern, the echoing groan and scrape of stone rubbing against aged stone deafening him for a moment as – if possible – Emma's eyes widened even more. But she wasn't looking at Killian, but over his shoulder at the source of the pale light.  

"It's true love," She said in disbeief, a bemused laugh breaking through her throat because she couldn't find the will to surpress it. "You chose me," She said, her hands finding Killian's face as he too looked at the now open doors, turning him sot aht he was once more looking down at her. "That was the test." Killian ahd never been an overly religious man – sure he'd men a god or two, but to believe in the almighty, of the true meaning of life was something he'd never wanted to dwell on too much over his three-hundred years. But now, looking down at Emma, her face flushed pink and her chest heaving as she laughed in relief, her eyes wide and full of wonder, he imagine this is what heaven must feel like. And he wasn't to waste another second of it as he closed the gap between them swallowing her laugh with a quick,  exhilerating kiss. Everything was looking up because it was true, the love he and Emma shared was true. But a part of him had known that all along. 

* * *

Their triumph was over almost as soon as is started. Emma and Killian half ran through the stone archway, believing their solution was just a step or more away. And then, as they barrelled down the steps, their footfalls echoing through out the wide, almost empty cavern, Emma felt as her hope dissipated once more. It had been foolish, she thought, to have hoped there was a ay out this mess.  

"No!" Killian exclaimed, taking in the sight of the cut down and dead tree lying at the centre of the cavern, it's branches brittle and any fruit it may have born now dead and useless. "The ambrosia, all of it. It's dead." 

"And it has been for a while," Emma replied, picking up one of the small, lychee looking fruit, only for it to crumble into dust in her palm. She wasn’t sure what she'd been expecting. Whenever the world gave Emma even the slightest bit of sunshine, fate was just waiting around the corner with the thunderstorm to cloud it over again. When she'd finally found her family, she'd fallen through a portal to another realm. When Henry had brought them all back from the alternate world and everyone was safe once more, she'd become the dark one and everything had fallen apart. Who had she been kidding. Emma wasn't getting her happy ending, not how she wanted it. "someone cut it," She said, her hand running over the smooth stump left abandoned in the centre of the cavern.  

"Not someone," Killian said, the anger beginning to build in his voice. Emma knew that this wasn't going to end well, but there was only so much that could be done. Now all that was left was for her to make sure she did what she needed to. She needed to save her family. "Hades. I knew we couldn't trust him."  

"Of course we couldn't," Emma said, trying really _really_ hard not to look at Killian because she knew exactly what she'd see. Determination. If Killian was knocked down, he rarely stayed so – their relationship alone was evidence enough of that. And with that knowledge she knew that Killian would never stop trying to save her.  

"Hades probably did this years ago when Orpheus and Eurydice used them to escape." Emma wanted to console him, she really did, but she didn't think any words from her mouth would calm his mind, let alone his heart. Finding out they were true love had been astronomical, like an impossibility made reality. To have that taken away after barely a heartbeat would be enough to destroy the most stable of people. There was no telling what it would do to Killian after everything he'd suffered. Maybe it would make him stronger, colder even. Or maybe t would destroy him entirely. "But then why send us after dead fruit?" 

"Because he doesn't want us coming with him to Storybrooke." Emma said, the realisation setting in. She'd had her suspicions about this rescue plan, of course, but she'd thought it would be to stop Hades loosing out on another dead soul. For some reason she'd never considered the possibility that he'd want to trap her family here as well. That was what made this so much worse in Emma's mind. She'd not only damned her wn soul by coming down here, but the souls of everyone she'd ever loved too. "We need to get back."  

"Not yet," Killian said, his hook snagging her arm as she turned to leave. "There must be something we can use to save you," He said and Emma could see the desperation in his eyes. She really didn't have the heart to tell him there was no other way, but there was no other way to give him a fighting chance. "Seeds, clippings – Anything!"  

"Hades tricked us," Emma reasoned, watching at Killian all but pucnehd the ground in his frustration. "There's no telling what he's done to my family, or what he'll do if he makes it to Storybrooke," She tried to reason, but Killian was still running his fingers atop the bark of the stump as though he could somehow transfer his own life into the dead wood. And then the ground began to shake. Killian's arm was at Emma's elbow in an instant, steadying her as she almost toppled over from the tremor. "We need to get out of here," Emma said, watching as the stone pillars began to crack, dust filling the air as the cavern started to fall around them.  

"Not without the ambrosia" Killian countered, pulling back his arm from Emma's grasp as she coured the room desperately. Emma had no idea just what he hoped to find. With the ambrosia gone there was no hope anymore, not that Emma could see. All that she could do was ensure her family made it though the portal and were safe back home. Anything "It's our only way to - " 

"We'll find another way!" Emma blurted out, feeling as the lie burnt her tongue as the hope stayed flickering in Killian's eyes. It hurt her to do this, to lie right to his desperate face and tell him that she was going to be saved. But there was nothing else she could do. "We always do. But we have to go." Emma knew she shouldn’t be able to lie so easily and more importantly, Killian shouldn't be so quick to believe her. But then they were running, Killian's hand holding hers tight as he pulled her along behind in the cavernous tunnels, the lanterns the walls flickering wildly from the gush of wind that followed the collapse of the ambrosia cavern.  

"Come one, Love," Killian called over his shoulder, leading Emma back towards the elevator and in doing so, her family. "We can't have long until the portal closes." But Emma had already made her mind up. A part of her figured that she had since before she'd stepped foot into the elevator. She dug in her heels, wrenching her arm from his grasp before he had the chance to pull her into the elevator after him.  

"I'm – I'm not going," Emma said, feeling at her ribcage became a fraction tighter around her heart. Something that was far from helped by the bewildered expression in Killian's face. "I never was. I'm dead. We're never going to find anything up there to save me," her voice cracked slightly as she tried to laugh sadly through the pain in her heart. It was a pitiful sound, closer to a sob or a harsh exhale, but it was all that sound Emma could make without breaking apart.  

"But you said – " 

"I needed to get you out of that chamber," She cut him off, her hand reaching for his once more. She'd almost expected him to pull away, to refuse her touch until she agree with him. But he didn't. He gripped her hand back, as though he already knew in the back of his mind that the decision had been made. All that was left was to wait for the rest of his consciousness to catch on. Emma had a feeling it wouldn’t take long.  

"No, Swan, I came to the Underworld to save you," Kilian said, his voice bemused as he looked at like as though she was someone he recognised but couldn’t name. Through his eyes he saw Emma, but the voice he heard wasn't matching up to the strong saviour and mother he knew. It was wrong, but a part of him – however small – knew this was exactly the choice that his Swan would make, it was the same one she'd already made. Emma would always sacrifice herself for the good of her family. "We all did. I'm not going back without you," He said definatly, his grip on her hand tightening as she smiled sadly up at him, tears tracking down her cheeks because, as he well knew, she'd made up her mind.  

"We don't have a choice." She said softly, her thumb rubbing the back of his hand in what he supposed were meant to be soothing circles. But all the contact did was remind him that he may never feel it again, that his eyes would never look upon her face. He was loosing her all over again and it hurt. Good god, did it hurt.  

"But your family," Killian tried, a last ditch effort to convice her that she could be saved, that she shouldn’t give up, but stay strong. But then he saw her smile again despite the agony of the moment and he realised just how strong she must to make such a choice. She wasn’t giving up, not in the way Killian thought. She was letting go.  

"I spoke to my dad before we came down here," She said, her voice stuttering slightly as she fought back her tears and tried hurriedly to speak. "And Henry," She said, breaking off slightly, shutting her eryes for just a moment before she continued. Killian could only imagine the hell she was going through if his pain was anything to go on. "He'll understand. Regina will help him. They both know what I'd want. But I want to say my goodbyes down here, without everyone watching."  

"No," Killian said, shaking his head as he tried to pulled away, but Emma held firm, both of her hands wrapping around his and holding him firm. It wasn't much of a struggle as Killian really didn't put up an awful lot of a fight. Emma doubted he had a lot of fight left.  

"We’ve been on borrowed time one way of antoher since Camelot," She said, trying to keep her voice light despite the current circumstances. IT wasn't a lie either. Killian was supposed to die in Camelot, Emma knew that now. And in penance for her mistake, she had given her own life. That had been enough to restore the balance, she imagined. Killian coming down to the Underworld ready to drag her soul back into the land of the living had just tipped the scale a little too far. Emma was beginning to believe that they'd been doomed from the get go.  

"That's not true," Killian argued, but his voice was wavering, his eyes already flciekring over her face as thought he was committing it to memory. Emma knew because she was doing the same.  

"We both know it is," She said softly, smiling up at Killian though her watery lashes as Killian clenched his jaw to the point that Emma thought he'd break some teeth. "I told you, that night by the lake, to let me go. I need you to do that now." She all but whimpered, her eyes cast down to her hands wrapped around his and the white knuckled grip she held. Letting go of his hand, she realised, might just be the hardest thing she'd ever done. "Don't make my mistakes."  

"I wont," Killian said, swallowing harshly, his eyes flicking to where she held him and then back to her face, willing her, she thought, to go with him, to let herself be saved. "I wont say goodbye. Not to you."  

"Then don't," She said with a sob, her hands releasing his to reach for his face, fingers tracing the line of his beard and commiting the touch to memory as well, fighting to retain the feel of every dip, groove and scar. His own hand came to her face, smoothing along the curve of her jaw before his fingers tangled themselves in the curl behind her ear. "But I need you to promise me something," She breathed, reaching to rest her forehead against his."Don't waste your life on me. Just, look after them, and Henry. Keep him safe. And just – live." The sound the fought out of her throat seemed a half laugh – half sob as she added his spicy, salty scent to memory along with the rest, her hands gripping the lapels of his jacket the way she had in Neverland when everything between them was barely an embryo. Had she known then what she knew now, she liked to think she wouldn't have wasted so much time pushing him away. Had she known their days were numbered, she'd like to believe she'd have treasured them far more.  

"But you must promise me one thing in return," He said, pulling away to see her face clearer, to take in the dash of yellow in her eyes illuminated by the lanterns, the slight dip at the bottom of her chin, and the exact curl of his golden hair. "Don't let any of us be your unfinished business. You move on from this damned place and you be happy. Don't you wait around for me – or anyone else – to show up." 

"I think I can do that," She said with a sad little laugh, before pushing him backwards slightly so that he stood fully inside of the elevator and she remained on the other side of the threshold. Reaching up, she grasped the gate that would set the elevator moving, pulling it low enough that the barrier between Killian and her was solidified, but that they had a few more stolen seconds. "I love you," The irony was almost deafening as she remembered Killian's jest earlier, of how she could never admit how she felt without the threat of certain death.  

"I love you too," He replied, tears slipping down his own cheeks as he held her face through the bars. Their lips crashed together for just a moment, both of them memorising the feeling for what was undoubtedly years to come. And when it was over, it was over, and Emma pulled the gate down the rest of the way before the elevator began to shudder, carrying Killian off back towards the surface. He held her hand as it rose, gripping tightly and kissing her knuckles over and over until the connection was broken, leaving them both alone, Killian continuing to travel up towards a family of hope, waiting for their daughter while the woman he loved stayed down below, her soul broken and alone in the firelight.  

 

* * *

"Hook," David said as the elevator ground to a stop. Killian barely reacted, the weight of his heart hanging in the pouch off of his hook the only true thing he could feel. The pain of leaving Emma was there, that was for sure, but it was numbed, delayed almost. But he knew the second his heart was put in his chest, he'd feel it all. The agony of leaving her and the crack as her fingers slipped from his like a rib being snapped off and then used as a stake through the heart.  

"Where's my mom?" Henry asked and Killian felt as his mind snaped back to exactly where he was. He could still feel locked in that moment, looking down at Emma's tear stained face as he rose above her. He could still hardly grasp it being the last time he'd see her in this life.  

"She – er," Killian said, stepping out of the elevator and shaking his head clear, hoping any remnants of tears were gone from his face. "I'll explain everything once we get out of this damned place." 

"We can't," Regina said, looking Killian knowingly up and down before gesturing towards the door. "The Blind Witch cast a spell trapping us in here."  

"A spell she no doubt got from Hades," He said, rubbing his hand over his face as he tried to regain his breath. He was just waiting now. Sitting dazed in anticipation until the pain kicked in fully and threatened to tear him apart from the inside. "This whole thing was a ploy to keep us trapped down here." 

"You mean the ambrosia?" David said, his question open ended as he looked devastated between Killian and the elevator he'd stepped out from alone.  

"Hades destroyed it all."  

"But – my mom?" Henry asked, his already young voice sounding so tiny with the pain behind it, his eyes welling with tears as Regina came to his side, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as the tears began to fall silently down his cheeks. Whatever Emma had believed, Killian couldn’t help thinking she was wrong. They wouldn’t be alright without her and this would never be okay. He doubted any of them would be able to let her go. "She cant – she can't leave." 

"When she said goodbye," Regina said, looking at Killian with an understanding he wished wasn't there. They both knew the pain of loosing a love and as much as she and Emma had their issues, Killian believed that she would certainly feel the smart from the firey blondes loss. "She was _saying goodbye_." 

"We can't just leave her!" Henry argued, pulling away from Regina to stand instead before Hook, looking up at the man as though he held the solution to everything that troubled his mind. "We're heroes. We came here to save her." 

"She can move on, Lad," Killian said, his hand resting on the boys shoulder in as comforting a gesture as he could muster. How could he stand here and tell Henry that everything would be okay when he, and everyone else, knew it was a lie. "But only when she's sure that we're all out of this place. Surely the author can wrack up a counter spell to break through. A loop hole perhaps?" Henry sniffled slightly but nodded, heading over tow here he'd placed the Underworld storybook ad flipping it to the first blank page.  

"Henry, are you sure?" Regina asked, her hand on his shoulder as he sat himself down at the nearest desk ad hunching over his book.  

"I have to try," he said, wiping the tears from his cheek with his sleeve before setting to work. It didn't take long, but with the sun beginning to set over the land of the dead, every second was beginning to count. "I think I've got it," He said before passing the book to his mother.  

"Well, we've hardly got anything left to lose," Regina said, scanning the page for a moment before standing facing the doors, her palms up at the ready. Killian could hear her mummering under her breath in a language he couldn’t understand and so he tuned it out, only snapping back into the moment at the sound of the library doors bursting outwards. "Henry," Regina said, smiling at her son with more kindness than Killian thought the Queen capable of. "You did it." 

"It's getting late," David said, clearing his throat, but Killian could hear the indecision in his voice. He wouldn’t doubt it if the prince was considering hopping into the elevator and dragging Emma out kicking and screaming until they saved her soul. And yet, he knew he wouldn’t. Emma wanted this, Emma _chose_ this, and David, despite his pain, would respect that until the end.  

"Let's get out of here," Regina said, reaching for Henry's hand to make her way out. Before they could make their leave, Henry stepped to the nearest bookshelf, placing the storybook in plain sight.  

"People will find them," He said with a small nod, before reclaiming his mothers hand and making his way out of the Library. Robin followed the pair out after, David shortly behind. But Killian stood still for a moment, the rhythmic pulse of his heart reverberating through his hook and up his arm. There was a part of him who wanted to feel the pain, to let it all in like a tidal wave to swallow him whole, to drown him beneath it until he could no longer see the light. He could join her quicker that way. But there was another part of his that wanted to place the pouch on the shelf beside the book and leave it for Emma to find. It was hers after all and he knew it would be for the rest of his living life. It was only right that she have it to hold onto. But he knew deep down that holding on was the problem. He wasn't going to forget Emma, he couldn't if he tried, but letting go, just might be the way forward. And so he held onto his heart and left the library, allowing the door to shut behind him.  

* * *

"The portal," Killian said as they reached the dismembered clock tower lying embedded in the gras. "It's closing. Henry, go!" He said, ushering the boy towards the portal, followed by Regina and Robin, leaving David and Killian behind. 

"Hook," David said, catching him around the elbow as the pirate scanned the length of the graveyard. If he didn't know better, David would say he was waiting for Emma to pop up, to smile in the way she always would when their eyes met and they'd carry her home through the portal. But they both knew it wasn't going to happen. "I wish there was another way. But there's nothing we can do." Not nothing, Killian thought. He could always stay. Being the only living man in the land of the dead didn't seem so bad, and so long as he was with Emma it would all be worth it any way. But, of course, his brave, stubborn Swan would never allow it. "You did your best for her." 

"Did I?" Killian asked, not looking at David as he clutched his heart still in the pouch tighter in his hand. He could crush it, he supposed, and then stay in the Underworld for sure, perhaps even pas on with Emma, but the look on her face as she made him promise to live was still to fresh in his mind and the idea died quickly. "I couldn't save her, just like I couldn’t save Milah. I can't lose anyone else I care for."  

"We're still with you, Hook." Perhaps it was the familiarity in David's tone, or perhaps it was his promise to protect Emma's familiarity, but Hook found himself steeling his jaw and pulling his heart out from the pouch, holding the slightly blackened organ in his hands as it pulsed ad radiated light. Without a word, he slipped it into his pocket and casting one more glance across the graveyard for any sign of her before turning to David.  

"Let's go," He said and together, the two of them stepped through the portal, leaving the Underworld and Emma behind them.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm not really happy with how this chapter turned out since I've been in something of a slump recently with my writing.  
>  But I'm working my way out. Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon for the next and final chapter.


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